


I Need Somebody

by Ayanami84



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, Brief Kang Younghyun | Young K/Bae Suji | Suzy, Coming Out, Detective Young K, Dom Jae, Dom/sub, Forensic Scientist Jae, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Minor Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung | Jr., Minor Kim Wonpil/Yoon Dowoon, Minor Kim Woosung | Sammy/Lee Jaehyeong | Jeff, Murder Mystery, Orgasm Control, Public Sex, Sex Toys, Sub Young K, Subdrop, Subspace, Voyeurism, Westernized Names
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2019-08-14 16:50:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 51,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16496465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayanami84/pseuds/Ayanami84
Summary: Detective Brian Kang had everything he wanted. A beautiful girlfriend, a good job. Everyone around him said so. They were either liars or didn’t know him at all. He was lost in his own life, unsure of what was missing. Everything starts to change when he is thrown into the BDSM world by a murder case in which every aspect of the victim’s lifestyle fascinates him. Enter Jae Park, the precinct’s new forensic scientist and a well known Dom in the scene. As they both try to solve the stream of murders in and out of BDSM clubs in their district, Brian finds himself examining his own nature and innermost desires: the need to exchange power, to surrender.(Heavily inspired by the series Power Exchange, by A.J. Rose)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Power Exchange (Book Series)](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/429782) by A. J. Rose. 



> Hello people!
> 
> So... I read this book series (Power Exchange, by A.J. Rose) a few years ago and it kinda stuck with me. It was my first time reading about BDSM lifestyle and I was a little surprised that it had a good story and characters. I liked the way the author described the scenes, and clubs, etc. the relationship between the main characters was fascinating and honestly, kind of sweet. I stumbled upon the blurb for it a few days ago while searching for something else, and reading it again made me crazingly link those characters to Jae and Young K... and I was timely listening to I Need Somebody and you all know how that one goes...lol. 
> 
> So, this is me recreating that story. I will change a lot of elements, partially because there are some things that still make me uncomfortable (total sensory deprivation and breathplay...like...nope), but mostly because I want to tell my own story. There are some heavily inspired scenes and by that I mean I may quote the books sometimes, if you have read them.
> 
> And, of course, EVERYTHING between the main characters is consensual. All those tags about references are related to the crimes they are investigating, so keep that in mind while you read. This isn't supposed to be a full-lenght novel and I am lazy when it comes to giving descriptions of background stuff, so it will be kept to a minimun, I guess. Now, please feel free to keep me in check. I did not put up all the tags I could have. I tried to pick the ones that are going to be extensively used. I will try to add any other that I deem necessary (or that you ask me to) on my notes in the beginning as a warning.
> 
> Enjoy the ride!

 

The ground was wet with last night’s rainfall and there were still a few sparse clouds racing across the sky, chased by a cold, keen wind. The sun had been up for less than a couple hours and the streets were unhurriedly filling with buzzing of half asleep workers going about their early Tuesday businesses.

Brian Kang sipped on his ridiculously overpriced coffee, the fancy place around the corner being the only one open. He took in the scenery around him. Nice neighborhood, sumptuous houses, well kept gardens stretched over a mile down the road he was in. Beautiful and calm landscape contrasting with the bloodied plastic covers and the police tape already isolating the crime scene.

“Kang, get over here”, his partner gruff voice came through his reverie as he walked up to where two patrolmen were controlling the crowd that was starting to gather around the marked space. He climbed the few steps to the front porch of the house.

“Officer Choi”, he nodded to one of the officers standing guard. “How are things inside?”

“I have never seen anything quite like it, sir”, the young man was pale and visibly haunted. He was one of the youngest in the force. It made Brian think of himself when he started almost ten years ago. He missed being able to feel things as deeply. His brain had started to detach from all the horrors he saw once he became a homicide detective. It can be too much sometimes, as his partner keeps reminding him.

The old man was always worried about Brian, always claiming that he shouldn’t be that much of a service robot. It was quite difficult to explain to him that it wasn’t like he was impervious or incapable of empathy. It was just that he knew that if he let himself feel anything more than a sense of duty towards victims and their families he would break. So he kept himself in check, always under control. That was how he dealt with most unsettling things in his life.

He handed the patrolman his half-drank coffee with a muttered ‘hold this, please’ and stepped into the living room, eyes immediately scanning the place. It was large and well decorated, fancy curtains and expensive furniture. It fitted the neighborhood appearance well. Nothing seemed out of place as he inspected the living room and the hallway leading up to what he assumed were the bedrooms. He passed in front of what seemed to be the master bedroom, spacious and well decorated like the rest of the house. He stopped a few steps from the door where he could see shadows moving around. He held his breath, counted till three putting on the protective gear left at the door for him and stepped into the room.

“What took you so long?”, his partner was standing near an open window, white gloves lightly stained with blood as he handled something the coroner gave him. J.Y. Park was an imposing figure, tall and sharp features, eyes that seemed to look through one’s soul. Few people knew the softie behind those reading glasses, but Brian had been taken under his wing when he started and was privileged to know him outside work.

“Sorry Jin”, he said as he took in the scene around him. The pungent smell, the blood splattered on silky white sheets. The room was smaller than the previous one, but still had a big bed and two dressers. There were hooks and hoops all over the frames, some at the ceiling. They seemed odd and out of place. The victim, a man probably in his forties, had his limbs chained to all four bed posts, completely naked. Deep cuts soaked his chest in blood, hands curled into fists and a horrified expression forever marking his lifeless face.

Brian walked around the bed carefully, giving it a wide berth as he didn’t want to disturb the forensic team, filing the objects scattered on the floor, either the victim’s belongings or pieces left behind by the killer. He looked at the body on the bed again, eyes searching for distinctive marks or other clues without touching anything. There was a trail of blood that led up the headboard and he could see in clear shaped letters the phrase “who is the dominant now?” written in what it seemed like the victims blood.

“Fucking shit”, he breathed out. It was a horrible sight indeed.

“Yeah, I know”, his partner stepped closer, handing him the object he had been inspecting. “Victim is George Kaiser, 43. This is his house”.

Brian inspected what he had in hands. It was the victims ID and a card to a club called The Rose. “How was he discovered?”

“Neighbor, Miss Eliza Simpson, got worried because George had promised to take her to work today. When he was late, she rang his door bell. Front door was open, she came in and found him like this. She is next door, Wonpil is with her”. Detective Kim was certainly the best choice to be with the traumatized woman right now. He was a people-person, warm and kind, everything Brian couldn’t let himself be. At least that was what his girlfriend had screamed at him last night when they once more got into a fight. Not that she used Wonpil as a reference, but he was to Brian as they had been good friends for over three years.

“He was tortured”, Brian kept his voice low. He didn’t know why he felt like he had to.

“Yeah, kid”, Jin sighed. “It gets worse”, he gestured to the coroner currently inspecting the body.

“He was raped. Victim was anally penetrated, probably a number of different objects were used. It wasn’t gentle”, she said without taking her eyes from the victim. Fucking shit. It was hard to keep reigns on his controlled façade when all he wanted was to throw up.

“Any thoughts on what those words mean?”, Brian said pointing to the blood stains on the wall.

“No idea”, his partner was at a loss. “They are taking stock of everything around to pass to the new CSI leader as soon as he gets in”.

Right. Rosa, the wonderful forensic scientist that had been working with them for years had asked to be transferred a few weeks ago. Her husband had to move across the country and she and the kids were going to follow him. A new leader had been assigned for the precinct lab, some hotshot special forces or whatever. Brian didn’t even know. The guy was due to get there this week.

“This stuff lying around?”, he kept asking. There were ropes that seemed to be made of some kind of silky material, clips of some sort, a few rings and all sorts of weird things Brian just couldn’t recognize, like some weirdly shaped stools and boards on the corner.

“Most of them we don’t recognize, but they were photographed and are being bagged”, the coroner answered. “I did bag two vibrators. They…hum… had blood on them”.

“Ok”, Brian resisted the urge to take deep breaths. It wouldn’t do him any good with the foul smell filling up the room. “Time and cause of death?”

“Dead probably seven to nine hours. Multiple puncture wounds to the chest. I have to take the body in to confirm this, but the victim was repeatedly stabbed with some long and sharp object”, he looked at the bed than at the floor. "No, it wasn’t lying around”, she added as if she read Brian’s mind. “We will sweep the place, but my guess is that the killer took it with him”.

“You guys keep at it”, Detective Park told the CSIs on location. He looked as pale as Brian felt. “We’ll talk to some of the neighbors”. He practically dragged Brian out of the room.

Once outside and free of their disposable gear, Brian took a deep breath. He looked around the immaculate front yard. He went around to the garage attached to the house. The victim’s car was still there. Seven to nine hours. He was probably killed between 10p.m and midnight.

“He didn’t even take his car out”, he needlessly pointed.

“Let’s talk to the neighbor”.

They both made their way to the house adjacent to the victim’s. Detective Kim was at the front door, like he had been waiting for them to come. He reported all he had taken from the witness. She had last talked to George yesterday around five in the afternoon when she got home from work complaining about the fact that her car had died down and she would have to take the bus. George offered to take her today as he was going to inspect one of his sites closer to where she worked. He was a known contractor in the area and had a lot of ongoing projects. He had given her a lift a few times in the past and he was never late. She saw that his car was still there and tried knocking. Door opened and she got in, finding the body and calling the police.

“She is pretty shaken”, Wonpil was the picture of concern.

“It is a pretty brutal scene”, Detective Park added.

“She described a few things to me”, Wonpil shuddered. “I’m rather glad I wasn’t the one in there”. He looked at Brian, sympathy all over his handsome face.

“Someone has to do it”, Brian curtly answered.

“Sure”, Wonpil nodded. “It’s the job”.

Yes, it was. He had to do it no matter how horrible things were. That is why he worked hard on keeping himself so far from feeling anything during investigations. They entered the house next door, noticing its resemblance with the previous one. Well adorned, expensive things. It seemed like a theme around these parts.

Eliza Simpson was a petit woman, with long dark hair in a high pony tail. She was smartly dressed, probably ready for work, in a black pantsuit and heels. She nervously twirled her necklace with here delicate, well-manicured fingers. She reminded Brian of Suzy, his girlfriend. That comparison made him feel uncomfortable, as he didn’t want to project anything on her. He started the query with the same basic questions that Wonpil had already covered. It was standard and they had to make sure she was telling the truth. This was one of the ways.

“Miss Simpson, have you ever been to George’s house?”, he asked after a few minutes.

“Yes, a few times. He used to host lots of neighborhood get-togethers”

“Used to?”

“He was refurbishing his…”, she hesitated. Brian frowned.

“Miss Simpson, we need to know everything we can about the victim”, he insisted.

“Hum… I suppose it will come up sooner or later”, she sighed. "You have to understand, this was his only secret. People aren’t understanding of certain choices in lifestyle".

“Miss Simpson, we need to understand what happened to him”, Brian went on.

“His play room. He was refurbishing his play room. It was always locked when he hosted those parties, but he didn’t want to risk it while he was renovating”.

“His play room”, Brian’s partner repeated the woman’s words. “Can you elaborate on that?”

“George was a Dom”, she said simply. All three detectives looked at each other. They didn’t seem to quite catch her meaning.

“A Dom?”, Wonpil asked without masking his confusion.

“Yes, a Dominant. He was a member of The Rose, a leather club downtown”. She elaborated. “A very well respected club”, she felt the need to add.

 _The Rose_. The bloodied card found in the crime scene. “May I ask how did you come across this information, Miss Simpson?”, Brian was past his puzzlement. Suddenly the objects, hooks and hoops in the crime scene started making sense.

“He introduced me to the scene. It was by chance; I found out about The Rose and was curious. George was there and he offered to teach me, to train me…” she trailed off.

“I take it you and him had some kind of relationship?”, Detective Park asked.

“No, not really”, she took a deep breath. “I’m a submissive. George helped me figure things out. He offered as a friend. I felt comfortable letting him lead. We met a few times at the club, than a few more at his house. Then I moved on to my now fiancé”. She looked at them with tears in her eyes. “George was a good friend, a very good Dom. He made sure Tom was good to me, supervising our first scenes”.

“Miss Simpson, correct me if I am wrong, but Dominants are usually not the ones tied up”, he had his thoughts in a turmoil. The phrase written in blood was flashing through his mind.

“No, they’re not”, she sobbed.

“Could he have met someone in this club and brought them home?”, Detective Kim finally spoke.

“It is possible, but very unlikely. He wouldn’t bring anyone new to his play room like this”, she was confident in what she was saying. “And the renovations… he would rather stay there at the club”.

"Did you know anyone he had been with before or after you?"

"I met a couple of them. They all seemed nice. George was careful, Detective"

"You ever heard anyone threaten him?", Brian had to ask, even though it was becoming clear that their next lead would be at the club.

“Heavens, no!”, she vigorously shook her head. “The club has tight policies and people there are kind and open. We all know the risks so we keep an eye for bad apples. George had a reputation; it is everything in our world”.

"Was he involved with submissives of the same sex?"

She nodded. "George was bisexual. People already treated him differently, you understand why he had to keep the rest to himself, right?”. Brian nodded. He looked at Wonpil. Yes, he understood. His friend had a hard time around his last precinct because he was openly gay. He wasn’t about hiding Dowoon, as he would put it. After a pause, she added. “Detective, I’m really sorry but it is more likely that someone outside our lifestyle did this”.

That was certainly not what Brian had thought when he started connecting a few of the pieces. The sentence on the wall, the toys lying around, and the fact that he was a Dominant but was found tied up. Someone was unhappy with whatever he had to offer, putting it lightly. Brian was almost certain it was someone who was either into BDSM life or fell out of it. He had to be careful not to be biased, though. Investigating facts only.

They talked to her a few more minutes, taking turns in asking additional questions about the club, George, their relationship and her fiancé. It seemed weird to Brian that the guy would be so accepting of another man in the room in the beginning of their relationship. Even more that they kept a close relationship after that. They got a list of names of people she knew were somehow involved in his life to follow up.

All three of them left the house in silence. Brian knew they were mostly doing what he was doing, trying to start on the puzzle laid in front of them. They may not understand much about what the victim was involved with, but they didn’t judge. They would never. Wonpil was chewing on his lip, something he did quite frequently when he was thinking.

“This is messed up”, he said, finally.

“All murders are, kids”, J.Y. Park looked tired. “I can’t believe I got this as my last case”

“You’ll retire in less than a month. You think we can solve this before then?”, Brian asked. He wasn’t confident that that was going to be the case, and by the look on his face, neither was his partner.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to solve this one without me, kiddo”.

God help him. He will need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI: all I know about police work comes from TV and books... and sometimes the news LOL


	2. Chapter 2

Brian needed assistance. He had to find a consultant, something, anything. He was out of his depth with his case, no matter how motivated he was to find the killer. They had driven to The Rose after leaving Wonpil at the station, but didn’t really get anything. The club had been empty, just a few people working day shift, cleaning around. No one that could help them had been there at the time, and Brian suspiciously thought that even if there were he would have a difficult time questioning whoever, as they all seemed to clam up no matter how placid they have been.

“We’ll need an in”, Detective Park had said on their way back to the precinct. “They will do their duty, but they won’t trust us”.

Delicate matters. Not only it was one of the most brutal cases Brian had dealt with, but also he felt that the sense of community that people in that lifestyle had and that Brian not only understood, but admired, was going to certainly get in the way of the investigation. Detective Park had taught him a million things and one through the years, but one that he would always take to heart was that police officers shouldn’t pry information from citizens through intimidation. It was a dividing point in the bullpen sometimes. Not everyone saw him as a pacifist; they see a wuss, some calling it to his face, including his girlfriend. He learned not to care about those people. He and his partner had one of the highest rates in closing cases in the three biggest districts around. He joined the force to serve not to prove his masculinity.

They got back to the precinct after lunch, frustration already starting to build. Brian spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with the crime scene techs, trying to speed up clearances so that evidence could be signed over to them. After a few hours his back was killing him and his head was about to explode. He would certainly be stuck there for several hours more, so he called Suzy to let her know not to wait up.

"But I had plans for us this evening," she said, a chill in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Su. I really am. I have to work while the trail is fresh. First forty-eight hours and all that" The chances of solving a murder reduce exponentially after the first two days.

“Brian, we need some time to talk”, for the first time in the last fourteen hours Brian was glad he had a case. He didn’t want to have the talk. He had been pushing it forward anyway he could. They had been fighting more than usual, probably because of that. Well, she had been fighting. She screamed, he listened. He couldn’t say anything; it wasn’t her fault, really. They had been together for three years, but he had felt disconnected for the last two. She was a great girl. Beautiful, intelligent, talented and driven. People around them encouraged their relationship and he let it slide, there was already too much confrontation in his life.

“If I can get away at a decent hour, I'll call you before heading home”. He would probably get there after she had fallen asleep. He would make it so.

She gave an exasperated sigh, but there was a note of acceptance and understanding. She was a good person, they were just not clicking. He felt bad for dragging her, but breaking up seemed too much for him. Maybe he had a problem.

"All right, Bri. I’ll just head over my parents for dinner"

"Do that. Love you," he lied. She probably knew it by now.

"You, too". She clicked off.

His partner was observing him from across his desk, the whole surface spread with papers, Kaiser’s case. He shook his head knowingly. J.Y. Park was probably the only person in the world Brian would show how fucked up in the head he truly was. The older man knew him really well. He gathers a few sheets and sighed heavily.

“Banks are closed so I couldn't get Kaiser's account information”, he started, pushing aside for now whatever he wanted to say about Brian’s love life, “but he kept a decent record of expenses in his checkbook. Lab techs have his computer, but so far haven't called with anything. His expenses are quite mundane. Mostly grocery stores, gas, restaurants. But wherever he bought the stuff to furnish his… what did Miss Simpson call it again?

“Play room”, Brian supplied.

“Yeah, if he used his checking account for that stuff, I don't see it. He might've paid for it in cash, or have another account”

Brian frowned. “Do you have any receipts in there?”, he pointed to the paper mess.

“Lots”, his partner pinched the bridge of his nose. “Luckily Kaiser was organized”

“Let me check them”. He took a folder from his partner’s hands and started going through it. “Here, Pleasure Palace. I would bet money on that one”.

“This case…”, Detective Park sighed again. “I’ll get the address”.

Brian got on his computer to search for the terms he had on the list of receipts from the supposed shop. He typed it on google and started scrolling through an endless number of wikis and online stores. Most sites he clicked had suggestive photos that he tried to minimize without missing the text. He wasn’t sure what he was trying to find.

“Kang, that better be for a case”, Sergeant Kwon grumbled from behind him, looking over his shoulders at the photo of a topless woman wearing a black mask and holding a leather crop.

Brian felt himself flush and he stammered for a moment. “Yes, sir. BDSM murder case. Preliminary report is already on your desk”. He hurriedly clicked off the offending webpage and spun his chair to face his boss. “I was trying to figure out the things he had written down in his checkbook”.

Sergeant Kwon waved his hand to dismiss it. “New guy is here. He came earlier than expected when he heard about the murder”

“Ok…”, Brian trailed off. He wasn’t sure what that had to do with him.

“I want you to go and great him. He is supposed to be the best in his field and God knows why he chose to transfer here”.

“Sir, the case…”

“You have a partner, Kang. Let him handle it for now”, his boss seemed adamant.

“Wonpil would be a better choice”, Brian really didn’t want to be part of a welcoming committee.

“He already left. Now, scramble, pretty boy”.

Brian jumped to his feet and made a beeline for the elevator. He shot an annoyed look at his partner, who was busy both taking notes for the case and laughing at his predicament. He went down to the basement where the labs were held.

The doors opened to the quiet and cold-as-a-morgue space he was so familiar with. Bright fluorescent lights meet his gaze, as he looks around the labeled organized mess of plastic bags from different crime scenes. His wasn’t the only on-going investigation and that much was clear by the sheer amount of work those forensic scientists had cut out for them. He stepped into the sparse room, moving through operating tables, machinery and a few desks to reach the main office on the far side.

He knocked on the door and waited. No response. He tried the handle. It wasn’t locked, so he opened and stepped in. It was empty. The computer was on and there was a pile of papers marked “Kaiser” on the desk, so someone was around for sure.

“Can I help you?”, a velvety voice greeted, startling him. He gasped and quickly turned around to face whoever spoke. He was met with shaggy blond hair and wide-rimmed glasses hiding delicate features. Brian tried his best to recompose himself.

“Hum… Detective Brian Kang”, he said extending his hand. The other man was as tall as him, maybe a bit taller. He was wearing a white lab coat that somewhat hid his physic over a pair of washed jeans and a black button-down shirt.

“Oh! Jae Park”, he accepted his offered hand. Jae Park was probably in his thirties, maybe around Brian’s age. His face radiated innocence and an open honesty hardly ever seen in anyone past puberty. His heart shaped lips were curved in a warm smile and Brian realized he was staring. And still shaking his hand. Well beyond the acceptable timeframe men adhere to during a handshake. He dropped it and shoved his hand in his pocket, kicking himself for the slip.

“I… hum… nice to meet you”. He stumbled through words. “Sergeant sent me here to welcome you to the team”.

“Thank you”, Jae's smile widened. “You were assigned the Kaiser case, weren’t you?”

“Yeah”, he nodded. “Nasty murder. Brutal”.

Jae nodded, solemnly. “I’ve been checking on the evidence documented and analyzed thus far”

“Anything new to add?”

He shook his head, moving around Brian to reach his desk. “Not yet”, he sighed. “There were a number of nipple clamps, cock rings and butt plugs lying around, but they don’t seem to have any trace of semen, blood or any other fluid. They were scattered there on purpose, probably. I found more than six sets of finger prints on straps of the padded bench they found in his play room, probably different submissives he had over. It seemed quite worn out”, he paused like he was taking mental notes of the things he was saying. “There were two floggers on one of the dressers. One of them had blood on it, but it wasn’t his”.

“One of his submissives?”, Brian chimed in.

“I certainly hope not”, Jae’s eyes turned quite intense as he stared off into the expanse of the lab behind Brian. “Pleasure-pain. Breaking skin is usually not part of the deal. A Dom’s goal isn’t to harm the submissive”.

Brian found himself nodding, even though he had absolutely no idea how that kind of dynamic worked. “How do you know all that?”

Jae raised his perfectly groomed eyebrow. “That is my job, you know?”

“No”, Brian shook his head. “I meant about the toys and the dynamics”.

The blond man went silent. He studied Brian for a moment. “Let’s take a seat, detective”. He gestured to the chair across from his own, on opposite sides of the desk. Brian did as he was asked. The man seemed lost in thought for a moment and Brian felt uncomfortable with the silence. “Healthy BDSM, which stands for bondage and discipline, domination and submission, and sadomasochism, has two significant principles: consent and trust. Not all that different from a vanilla relationship”, he began again. His voice was rich and sonorous, catching Brian’s full attention. He found himself staring at the other’s lips again. He pinched his leg because he couldn’t just shake his head without getting noticed. He tried to think of Suzy, but that had absolutely no effect.

“Yes, I read about that”, he said, voice wavering a little.

“Good”, Jae smiled again, but it wasn’t warm as before. “Then you probably read that consent is given up front, and continually given unless the Dom pushes the sub too hard, at which time, the sub will use safe words”. He pauses. “Safe words are _always_ acknowledged, detective. When a sub safe words, everything _has to_ immediately stop”.

“What if it doesn’t?”, he had to ask.

“Anyone not doing so quickly gets a reputation and is ostracized by the community. People get hurt that way, detective. And as I said, harming the sub isn’t the Dom’s objective”.

“George Kaiser, so far, seems to have a fairly spotless reputation”, Brian added.

“He probably does. It is quite hard to hide something like that. We are a tight community, and there aren’t that many of us around the city”.

Brian had to school his expressions not to show Jae how surprised he was with the revelation. He was taken aback but that had also peaked his interest. The nerdy lab tech from before was replaced by an intense man that exuded confidence.

“How does the club come into play?”, he forced the words out.

“Places like The Rose are a perfect venue for a pair playing together for the first time. It is quite unusual for a first-time scene to happen at someone’s home. There are private rooms at clubs where there's the safety net of a nearby crowd. If the players are okay with it, there are even public rooms with someone called a Dungeon Master who is there to step in should something go wrong”.

“So Kaiser probably knew whoever he invited to his play room and they have probably… played… more than once before”, he tried to keep his brain on the task, breaking eye contact with the other man.

“I would be inclined to think that way, yes”, Jae’s response was deliberate.

“I…hum…”, Brian hesitated. What he wanted to ask could probably be considered offensive. “What makes someone submit to this kind of… relationship?”, he tentatively tried to word his curious thoughts. He studied Jae’s expression. He didn’t seem to take any offense.

“It's an exchange of power. Believe it or not, the subs have more power than you realize. They have the power to choose whether or not they give themselves to a Dom. Submissives like to please people and be acknowledged for giving that pleasure, even if it's at the expense of their own. They enjoy making other people happy, and it doesn't have to be only in the bedroom”. He laid back on his chair, capturing Brian’s gaze again. “Submissives aren’t weak. They put themselves at someone else's mercy, knowing that it could give them discomfort and even pain, but also trusting that the pleasure for total surrender is far greater than you ever imagined”. He smiled warmly again. “They say it takes more courage to kneel before another than stand beside them”.

Brian was mesmerized. Jae’s words were affecting him more than he could admit to himself. He stared at those deep brown eyes for a few beats in complete silence. He could only hear his own breathing, and maybe his heart. He briefly closed his eyes, trying to break from the spell cast by the blond man sitting across from him.

“So, I need to talk to people around the club”, he sighed, finally free from the weighting gaze. “Problem is, how can I go about asking the questions I need to ask without my ignorance of the subject shutting them down?” Jae was silent again. Brian swallowed around the knot that had form in his throat. He didn’t want to offend his new colleague.

“You show them respect, the way you are doing to me”, he said simply. He adjusted his glasses, brushing his hair off of his eyes. He looked every bit of the nerdy lanky man that had greeted him when he first got to the lab.

“I will do my best… if they even talk to me”, he sagged in his chair, worn-out. That had been unintentionally the most intense conversation he ever had.

“I can vouch for you. If you want to, I can be there”.

Brian perked at that. “For real? You could do that?”. He shouldn’t be this excited with that prospect.

“I know the owners”, he shrugged.

“Thank you Jae”, Brian got up. “This had been… enlightening”. He mustered his best smile. “Welcome to the prescinct”. He made to leave the office, but Jae stopped him half-way out the door.

“Aren’t you curious?”, he asked. Brian didn’t turn around.

“About what?”

“About where I stand in all this, what part I play”.

Brian looked back, over his shoulders. “Trust me, I know”.

He left, but not before seeing and amused smile playing at Jae’s lips. Yes, he certainly knew. Jae was undoubtedly a Dominant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I forgot to mention is that English is not my first language. If you see any mistakes or weird phrasing, let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

As another cloudy night rolls in covering the last of the twilight sky, Brian finds himself blinking at the elegantly shaped sign of The Rose above a lusterless black door. The entrance was down a few steps from the busy sidewalk, giving it an air of secrecy. He was actually surprised at how central the location of the club was. He had expected something far detached from public eyes, given the stigma the lifestyle carried. His partner stood beside him, shifting his weight and scratching his head.

“You’ll be ok in there?”, Detective Park had his eyes glued on Brian, like he was gauging his every reaction.

Brian rolled his eyes. “Of course I will, Jin”. He wasn’t sure about that, but that was his job. He would have to do it.

“New guy is late”, his partner huffed.

Jae Park didn’t ride with them. He had some errands to run for the lab, or something. Brian had had a pretty shitty day to delve on anything else besides what he needed to work on the case. Last night he got home after midnight to find Suzy still awake and ready to talk. He had blocked out most of the things she said, she was probably right in every respect, but he couldn’t muster the energy for trying to clear things with her. He had been tired and drained out from the day and the case. She had noticed and been gentle. She clearly wasn’t happy with him, and he felt like a jerk for that. She was a really nice girl. In the daze he was while she was pouring her thoughts on him, he just remembers agreeing to talk to her tonight, after this.

The day went on presenting every source of frustration it could. Jae and his team’s careful analysis were coming out empty of helpful results. None of the finger prints found was on database, which meant they had no criminal records. That in itself wasn’t necessarily a setback, as they had other ways of figuring them out, it would just take more time. The blood on the flogger was also, in Brian’s mind, a dead end. It was dried, it had been there for at least a month according to Jae, and there were no finger prints other than the victim’s. Jae was positive that this little fact was of significance, as he was still adamant in saying that the Dom wouldn’t have hurt his sub like that. Brian wasn’t so sure.

He checked his watch. 6.12 p.m. Jae said he would meet them there by six. “Maybe he got stuck at work”, he told his partner. “Should I call him?”

“No need, I’m here”, that sweet velvety voice coming from behind him. “I’m sorry I’m late. I had to go home and change. I had a bit of a coffee accident this afternoon”.

Brian turned around and was confronted with those disheveled gold strands and glasses on well-fitted blue collared shirt, long sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and denim clad jeans that hugged his undoubtedly toned thighs nicely. Jae was surprisingly fit, only the absence of the oversized lab coat revealing that. Something stirred in Brian’s core, but he did his best to stomp it down.

“You didn’t have to dress up for this”, he said with annoyance, taking in the surprised expression on Jae’s beautiful face. Think of Suzy again, damn it.

“I’m sorry, I came as fast as I could. This isn’t a club where you can just get in wearing whatever”, Jae said apologetically. Brian looked down at himself. Was he dressed appropriately, then? “You look fine, detective”, Jae smiled at him like he had read his thoughts, eyes ranking over his plaid murky green tie, white dress shirt tucked in, black leather belt and denim. He had left his blazer in their car, as it had been warmer than usual today. “Fine may not be the word”, he murmured absently, making Brian’s gut churn.

Detective Park cleared his throat and they both jumped a little, completely oblivious of the older man’s presence for a moment. “Shouldn’t you two get going?”, he asked raising his thick eyebrows at Brian. Whatever was going through his mind at the moment, Brian knew he would hear about it later.

“Yeah, right”, he adjusted his own tie. “Are you sure you’re not coming with?” Earlier they had decided that Brian would go in for questioning with Jae as his chaperone, but that his partner would wait outside in the car not to crowd in on people they had to see, making them feel more comfortable in talking to them.

“Pretty sure you kiddos can handle it”, he nodded. “Besides, these are my last days in the force”, he smiled weakly. “Most of my input will be obsolete once you get a new partner”.

“That is not true, Jin, and you know it”. There was no one else Brian respected more than J.Y. Park.

The older man waved his hand dismissing any of Brian’s comments. “Yeah, yeah. You love me”, he joked. “I’ll be in the car, on alert. Call if you need backup”.

“That will certainly not be necessary”, Jae seemed to take offense at that.

Detective Park studied him. “I meant I was going to do my job, kid”, he sighed. “I wasn’t suggesting anything past that, believe me”.

Jae stared at Brian’s partner and then nodded. “Thank you, sir”. Some kind of understanding came between them, but it went way over Brian’s head.

The building before them blended in with those surrounding it, its brick exterior nothing special. Strobe light from inside flashed past the small window set high in the door announcing to passerbys that this wasn’t another hotel in the area. It had that night club vibe around it, but there was no bouncer upfront, no lines of people ready to get in. And it probably wasn’t because it was too early. Jae made his way through the front door, Brian close on his heels.

They walked along a long corridor, red ceiling lights eerily illuminating their surroundings. At the end of the hallway, was a Brian’s first indication of what kind of club this could be as sitting on a bar stool, a little to the right of a wooden arched door that probably gave passage to The Rose for real, was a bouncer in black leather pants and a white t-shirt that hugged his torso with the word ‘Mercy’ stenciled across it. He had his wrists covered in leather straps and spiked bands, the kind of cliché Brian would expect from the little he knew about this world. They could clearly hear music coming from the arched way, muffled by the material of the door in front of them.

“Hey Matt”, Jae waved at the guy. He was tall and built, light brown hair slicked back, a menacing tight look on his face. He beamed once they were close enough for him to recognize who was talking to him.

“Hey Doc! Long time no see”, he extended his hand which Jae took enthusiastically. “First timer?”, he inclined his head towards Brian. He looked at him up and down, a nice welcoming smile on his lips. Brian briefly wondered what it was about him that made the other assume he was a newbie.

Jae shook his head. “I’m afraid we are here on business”, the bouncer’s smile fell. He probably knew where Jae worked.

“Want me to call the boss?”, he asked seriously. It was that easy? When the detectives had been here yesterday they couldn’t even talk to the janitor. Five seconds in and Jae was already being offered a moment with the owner.

“That would be great, Matt. Thank you”. The bouncer went around the arched passage, yelling at someone inside. “Jiwoo, call Woosung. Doc is here. On business”. A female voice answered something Brian couldn’t understand over the now louder beats of electronic music. “Will you guys wait here or would you rather be at the bar?”, the Matt guy asked them, perching back at his stool.

“We can wait a bit”, Jae said. Bars and cops on duty didn’t quite match. Not that he would drink if they were there.

“Matthew Kim”, the big man extended his hand to Brian after a few beats. Everything had been so smoothly handled by Jae that he hadn’t even noticed he hadn’t introduced himself, nor shown his badge, which was attached to his belt, for everyone to see.

“Detective Brian Kang”, he took the other’s offered hand. They shook hands and the guy fell back into silence, observing the hallway behind them. He didn’t ask any questions, he didn’t seem really curious to why they were there. He was in the business of discretion. A few moments passed and a shorter man came strutting to the entrance, pretty ashy-blond hair mussed. Brian couldn’t help but wonder if all people in the scene were drop-dead gorgeous.

“Jae”, he nods briefly, smiling at the blond man. “Woosung Kim”, he introduces himself. “I own The Rose”.

“Detective Brian Kang, Homicides”, he shakes the man’s hand, noticing that he haven’t even flinched at the mention of Brian’s field. They probably got word of what was going on. It had been over twenty-four hours now.

“My office?”, he looks between both of them.

“That would be preferable, sir”, Brian answers politely.

They followed Woosung past the arch, into the club. Brian tried to take in his surroundings, the beat of the music syncing with the pounding of his heart. The first area, the bar, was a large high-ceilinged single room. The outer circle of seats held deep leather booths, where couples and groups sat in various stages of intimacy, from deep conversation to full on make-outs. It was already bristling and the night hasn’t even started. He leaned into Jae to try and talk over the somewhat loud noise.

“Are clubs like this open 24/7?”, Brian asked.

“Most of them, yes. The Rose is usually closed on Tuesdays”. Well, that explained why it had been empty and quiet yesterday.

They kept walking past the crowd that was forming in the sparse room. Brian could see high cocktail tables in a ring inside the booths, where people stood either watching the stage or the dance floor, which was sunk into the floor at the center circle of the room. Around it he saw the kind of railings one would find at a sports arena that divided the stairs from the seating section. To each of these railings, someone was handcuffed. Brian observed fascinated that some of them were just idly swaying to the song, others engaged with those who would probably be their Doms. They were either getting spankings or attention in other ways. He swallowed around the nervousness that came over him.

“Some people enjoy voyeurism. Others do it because it is safer with a crowd”, Jae leaned in closer to his ear so he could hear him better, lips brushing his shell. That simple movement sent a chill to Brian’s spine and he held out a ragged breath he was sure would make the other suspicious of his ability to function professionally in a charged environment like this one. The entire place was a breathtaking, sweaty, writhing mass of bodies in various states of arousal and display.

Woosung led them to a back door behind the mirrored stage, on which a blindfolded man was tied up to a pole, hands over his head. He was sweaty and scantily dressed, a masked figure going around him wielding some sort of whip Brian didn’t have time to work out, as they left the main room.

They were led through another hallway, this one shorter than the previous one. It was a clean businesslike environment, walls adorned in elegant wooden panels. There were two doors at the end of the corridor, one being the bathroom, as Brian could see as he passed by it. The last door was swung open by Woosung and Brian could see the interior of a well furnished office.

“Take a seat, gentleman”, he said as he stepped out of their way. Brian looked around at the well-designed shelves and cabinets. There was a large desk on the far wall; someone behind it leaned over a few opened books and furiously taking notes. “Babe, Jae is here”.

The young man raised his head from his papers and smiled brightly. He had a sharp jaw line that garlanded his face, framed by auburn short hair. He was wearing, as Brian grumpily noted, dark ripped jeans a leather vest. No shirt. Creamy skin and hard perfect shapes exposed. He was also wearing a dark blue collar.

“Hey Doc!”, the man got up and came around the desk quickly, throwing himself at Jae’s open arms.

“Jaehyeong”, Jae said softly, hugging the other man. “I missed you my friend”

“Well, you could have visited”, Woosung said somewhere behind them.

“I’m sorry”, Jae sighed, letting go of Jaehyeong. “We can talk about that another time”, he moved one of the chairs in the room to face the big desk where Jaehyeong had been, gesturing for Brian to do the same. The other two took their places behind the desk, Jaehyeong frowning a bit but following Woosung’s directions quietly.

“Studying again?”, Jae asked when they settled down, pointing to the stack of notes piled in front of them.

“Yep. Business major”, Jaehyeong beamed and Brian saw Woosung smile fondly, idly caressing the back of the other man’s collar. There was a story there, but he wasn’t here about that.

“I’m sorry to barge in like this”, Brian assumed his most professional tone, “and I am also sorry that I have to cut back the niceties” he smiles apologetically to Jae. “I’m Detective Kang, Homicides”, he introduced himself to the new addition to the party.

“I’m sorry, detective”, Woosung nodded. “Please, we don’t want to get in the way of your investigation”

Well, that was nice to hear. “Do you know this man?”, he handed them a photo of the victim. It was just a formality as he knew they were familiar with the victim. They were on the list of names Miss Simpson had provided as George Kaiser’s acquaintances. The apparent sadness that overtook them also told him they were well aware that the man in the photo was dead.

“George”, Woosung answered, putting his arm around the collared man’s waist and bringing him closer. “He was one of our regulars. A kind man, detective. He didn’t deserve what happened to him”.

“How often did he come to the club?”

“Almost every week. Most times it wasn’t even to play. He knew everyone active in the lifestyle”. Brian couldn’t help but notice that Woosung shot a furtive look at Jae. He filed that for later.

“Was he here Monday night?”

“Not that I noticed”, Woosung answered. “Mondays I tend to be here, checking the books with Jaehyeong”.

“Has George taken a new sub lately?”

“No, he hadn’t have a regular one for a while”, the owner of the club shook his head. “He also didn't make it a habit to leave with someone the same night he met them”.

“Who would have been his safety net?” Jae spoke for the first time.

“Sheldon Kinney”, Jaehyeong provided. “He is here tonight with Jonah”. Brian checked his list. Those two names were at the top. Eliza Simpson probably thought the two of them had been closest to the victim.

“What was George's usual habit when he was here?”, Brian pressed on. He was glad Jae was here interjecting with details he wouldn’t know he needed to ask otherwise.

Woosung shrugged. “Depends on if he had a sub or not. As I said, he hadn't had a steady lately, so mostly he talked to friends, kept up on who's doing what or whom, and stayed visible in the scene”.

“Was he looking for a sub?”

“Most likely. He had been alone for a few months”, Woosung seemed amazed at that notion.

“Is it unheard of?”, Brian asked, trying to piece the events together.

“Not exactly. But since subs outnumber Doms twenty to one…” he trailed off.

“You think there was something keeping him from taking a sub?”, Brian supplied.

“Honestly, I have no idea detective. It was not unheard of, but quite uncommon”. Brian filed that piece of information with the other relevant facts of this investigation. Form what he had heard from Miss Simpson, these two and the evidence lying around in Jae’s lab, George Kaiser was a careful person.

“Could he have taken someone new out of loneliness?”

“There are private and semi-private rooms upstairs where people can get to know each other”, Brian nodded remembering what Jae had told him the previous night. “If George was up there last Monday, Lance would know more about who he spoke to”.

“Lance?”

“Yeah, he's the Dungeon Master, making sure everything's working nicely upstairs”, Jaehyeong supplied.

“Are Sheldon and…” he looked at his notes “Jonah here tonight?”

“Yes. They are at the stage. They will be finished in an hour or so”. Woosung got up from his desk. “Let me take you to the private rooms”. He stopped and looked at Brian. “Detective, I take it you are not the judging type as you have treated us with respect since you got here”, he smiled a bit, “but please, don’t interrupt any of the scenes happening around the club. I will ask them to talk to you as soon as they are able”.

“I wouldn’t do such a thing”, he assured the other man. He would ask Jae why when he had a chance. For now he just wanted to keep the thread of questioning going. He found the path of least resistance and he intended to keep on it. Stepping on anyone’s toes or putting people possibly in danger because of his ignorance weren’t part of the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was getting quite long, so I divided the chapter in two parts. Second one will be up pretty soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second part...

“You have to understand detective”, Woosung was saying as they left his office with a copy of Brian’s list of names in his hand, “these are good people. I don't see them having anything to do with what happened to George”

“I am not accusing anyone, sir”, Brian tried to placate the club owner. “But it is my job to make things right by the victim. I have to talk to all of them”.

Woosung sighed, guiding them up the stairs, to the second floor. “Things are negotiated between Doms and subs before any play takes place. Limits are established up front, and if things go too far, Master Lance or one of the other Dungeon Masters will put a stop to it. We take care of our own. We can't afford not to".

From the top of the stairs Brian could see the stage a bit more clearly. There were people gathering around, watching it. He felt Jae come closer to him, so he leaned and whispered. “What are they doing?”

Jae followed his gaze. “Flogging techniques. Probably a demonstration”.

“Looks painful”, he said before he could stop himself.

Jae chuckled lightly. “Yes and no. It's one of the milder pieces of equipment. In the right hands, it can be heaven. You should ask him what it's like, Brian”, he smirked and winked.

The second floor was dimly lit and much quieter, contrasted with the bright flashing lights and loud music downstairs. Woosung walked along the corridor looking around for someone. Each side had around three open doors and there were a few people in each, movements Brian couldn’t quite identify. The club owner stopped two doors down and beckoned them to come closer, gesturing them to be silent.

“Lance”, he pointed to a handsome young man in leather pants. “Detective Kang needs to ask a few questions”. And with that he left them.

From the room behind him a muffled moan called Brian’s attention. He tried to keep his gaze straight at Lance’s face. “Can we go somewhere else to talk?”

“Sorry, detective” Lance answered him, hands combing his raven dark hair. “I can’t leave. People might need me”.

Brian looked around, all doors were ajar. The private rooms were still empty. He looked at Jae, who shook his head. “Rules of the house, Brian. Safety of the subs, remember?” Brian took a deep breath.

“George Kaiser”, he began. Lance was attentive at his surroundings by trying his best to listen to Brian. “When was the last time you saw him here?”

“This past Monday”, a sob came from one of the rooms. Lance listened carefully, inclining his head a bit to the side.

“Did he talk to anyone? Brought anyone up here to play?”, Brian kept going once the Dungeon Master’s attention was on him again.

“He watched a scene or two in the semi-privates, but he didn't talk to anyone new, no. At least, not that I saw”

“Did you see him leave with anyone?”

Master Lance frowned. “No. He spent a few minutes talking with Sooman Lee, but I think that was idle conversation while the two of them watched a scene”

“Sooman Lee?”, Brian wrote the name down.

“Yes, he's a master craftsman. Makes fine implements and has earned quite the reputation in the last few years”. A hiss came from the same direction and Lance started moving towards it. “I’ll be right back, detective”.

Brian sighed. He can’t get exasperated with how people were dealing with his questioning because they were actually answering his questions. A soft moan brought his attention back to the door Master Lance had been blocking. He could now see the full scene laid before him. A young man tied to a bench on his back with his arms trailing to the floor and his ankles shackled to his wrists. He was completely naked, his erection an angry red, probably from the leather strip wrapped around it. His eyes were covered in a soft dark fabric tied around his head. His chiseled torso was marked with splashes of something Brian couldn’t identify. His Dom was kneeling beside the bench, smiling at the subs face as he stroke the bound man’s cock at a painfully slow pace, a soft caress that made the sub shudder.

“Jaebum, you are so beautiful. Such a beautiful boy for me”, he heard the Dom say. “Let me hear you baby, tell me how you feel”. He took the blinfold off. The sub blinked at the bright lights. His eyes were completely unfocused, eyes glazed and lips parted. Brian found himself captured by the scene. The sub seemed so relaxed, completely limp in what he thought should be an uncomfortable position.

“Soaring…”, the sub slurred the word.

“You’ve been such a good boy”, the Dom leaned in and kissed one of the sub’s nipples. “Tell me, who do you belong to?”

“Jinyoung”, the sub sighed, content.

“So beautiful”, he kept kissing him. “It's too bad we're not at home, in our space. Edging could go for hours yet”. Jinyoung's hands moved slightly faster making the sub flex his entire body, a long drawn moan that begged for release.

“Edging?”, Brian asked before he could stop himself. Jae noticed him glued to the scene.

“It's a form of delicate sexual torture”, he kept his voice low, stepping behind Brian to look at the scene over his shoulder. He stood quite close as the space at the door wasn’t wide enough for both of them, resting his hand on the small of Brian’s back. “The sub is bound and often blindfolded to provide some sensory deprivation and heighten touch”. Jae was speaking quite close to his ears, warm breath touching his skin. “Then they are stimulated to the point of orgasm but not allowed to succumb until their Dom is satisfied with the play. Edging can go on for hours”.

Brian looked at Jae then. He had his eyes on the scene, calmly observing. “Why would someone want that?”, he didn’t mean for his voice to sound as hoarse as it was.

Jae fixed his eyes on his face. That same intensity from the day before back to his features. “Because, when the bliss is finally granted, it can make them black out, take them into subspace if they're not already there, give them a whole body orgasm”, he didn’t move his hand from where it was resting over Brian’s dress shirt, but he could feel fingers twitching, fighting to stay in place. Brian was finding it difficult to breathe while staring at Jae’s deep brown eyes. “Total trust. Total domination. And total immersion in each other”, he paused, looking back at the scene. “It is stunningly beautiful”.

Jae’s words spellbound Brian again as he turned back to watch. He found himself staring in awe, wondering how liberating it would be to let someone else take control, to put aside all thoughts and worries and just let himself feel. He didn’t know where those came from, but for once he didn’t fight it. He kept marveling on the idea of trusting that someone was using his body for their pleasure and he had to do nothing but give up control, without playing games and expecting him to be a mind reader.

Jinyoung slowed his hand again as he spoke. “Jaebum, baby. You are a good boy for letting me take control, wanting to please me”, the sub whimpered at every syllable, face still peaceful. “You’ve earned it, my love. You can cum”.

At Brian’s bewilderment, as soon as the command left the Dom’s lips, Jaebum panted, tensed, and spilled over Jinyoung's slick hand, his dick jumping and pulsing between loosely curled fingers, a slow, deep eruption that went on forever. He had never seen something like that. His knees were weak and he was confused by his erection. He was pretty sure the only thing preventing him from falling was Jae’s firm hand on his back, a light touch before, but now a solid wall of comfort.

“Breathe, Brian”, Jae whispered as he started drawing slow steady circles at his back, like he was willing Brian’s heart rate to slow down. Brian looked at him, his eyes were calming and reassuring. Brian blinked a few times to get his thoughts in order and took a deep breath. Jae stepped aside, smiling warmly. He couldn’t begin to understand what had happened, but he was glad Jae wasn’t laughing at him.

“Master Lance is back”, Jae said. “You should finish questioning him”. He looked behind them and Master Lance was indeed back, staying at a respectful distance. What is happening?

“Ok”, he tried to ignore the past few minutes to do his job. “Have you ever seen or heard George Kaiser have any altercation with another member of the club?”

He proceeded to question Master Lance, but the young man didn’t have anything useful to add. There were two more people on his list present at the club today. He had to muster the energy to get downstairs back to whatever was happening at the stage. He thanked Master Lance for his help and beckoned Jae to follow him. The blond man followed silently, eyes glued to Brian, like he was worried about him. It should have made him uncomfortable to be watched this way, but here he was glad. He was clearly way in over his head in here.

Once they got downstairs, Sheldon Kinney was waiting for them in one of the booths closed to the stage, his sub lying on the couch, seemingly sleeping. He motion for them to sit across from them.

“Detective Kang, I presume”, the man said. “I was told to wait for you”.

“Thank you for staying, Mr. Kinney”, Brian started. “You're a friend of George Kaiser, correct?”

“Yes, I was”, sadness dripped on his voice. “He was my best friend”.

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Last Sunday. He came to our house for lunch”.

“Did he talk about taking a new sub? Or taking anyone for that matter?”

“No, he didn’t. He was certainly looking, he had been on his own for months”.

“Woosung told us you were his safety net”, Jae intervened. Kinney nodded. “Has he ever ignored that?”

“No, he was very careful”.

Brian frowned. “What is that exactly? Being someone’s ‘safety net’?”

Kinney sighed heavily, looking down at his sleeping sub. “This lifestyle can be dangerous for everyone, in different ways. George and I have… had... an agreement that anyone new doesn't go home with either of us without the other one at least meeting them”.

It had been the same kind of answer over and over again. Brian thanked the man and took his information in case he had to be in contact again. Jae and he left the club after the former went back to Woosung’s office to thank him for his help. It had been a precious help indeed, thanks to Jae, but they didn’t get much. As far as he could see, everyone had been forthcoming, but still knew nothing.

The air outside was thick and humid announcing another night of pouring rain. Brian and Jae walked side by side in silence, straight for the unmarked police car parked just around the corner. Jae stopped midway, pulling Brian by the sleeve.

“Are you ok?”, he asked searching Brian’s face for something.

“Yeah, I’m fine”, he didn’t want to think about what happened there. Not now.

“Ok”. The blond man nodded, eyes still searching.

“Where is your car?”, Brian needed to change the subject and send Jae away.

“I don’t have a car”, he shrugged, “I took the subway here”.

“I can take you home”, Brian said before he could stop himself. That wasn’t exactly sending someone away.

They got around the corner where Detective Park was waiting for them. Brian got into the driver’s seat and waited as the other two got in. He filled his partner in everything that had transpired at the club. Well, almost everything. He occasionally looked at Jae through his rearview mirror. The other man was pensively starring out the window. His phone rang and his partner took it from him.

“You’re driving kid”, he said. “It is Suzy”.

“Let it go to voicemail. I’ll be home soon”

“Who is Suzy?”, Jae was now looking at him through the mirror.

“My… my girlfriend”, he felt strange saying it. Jae just nodded at him and went back to staring at the fast passing trees outside.

He drove Jae home first, a nice neighborhood that reminded him of the victim’s. Jae’s house seemed big, but not sumptuous. Still, it was leagues away from his one bedroom apartment at the other side of town. Jae thanked him for the ride and went straight to his front door. Brian watched him get in. He sighed, not sure if with relief or regret.

“What is up with you lately?”, his partner asked, exasperated

“I don’t know what you mean”, Brian put the car back into gear and left.

Detective Park was quiet. “Boy, between your messy relationship and this”, he gestured back at Jae’s house, getting smaller with the distance, “you are knees deep in stinky complicated shit”.

Brian huffed. Wasn’t that the truth?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick one before my weekend is over. Next one will be up by Friday.

"You look tired, Bri. You taking care of yourself?", his mother asked, sitting across from him at the table. Sunday brunch with her had been kind of a tradition since his father passed away seven years ago. Sometimes he went to her house, sometimes, like today, they would choose a nice quiet restaurant around her neighborhood. He would never miss it unless he had a goddamn good reason for it.

He waved her off, smiling reassuringly. “Late night working a case”. That was an understatement. He had been practically living at the bullpen these last few days. He quite literally did so yesterday and the day before.

“I will always worry about my baby boy”, she teased him.

“God, mom. I have asked you so many times not to call me that”, he cringed.

She smirked. “And I told you as many a time that I am an independent woman and your damn mother, so I will do as I please”.

He rolled his eyes at her, smiling. “Yeah, yeah. How is work?”

“Busy, boring, stressful. All things put together. You know, the usual”, she shrugged nonchalantly. Mrs. Kang was a state prosecutor, one of their best. Brian was extremely proud of her. She was a woman with nerves of steel, but the kindest heart. “How is Suzy?”, she asked.

“She is fine”, Brian played with the eggs still on his plate. His mother could read his like an open book. He couldn’t look her is the eyes.

“Brian, love, you should stop dragging that girl behind you. She deserves better”, didn’t he know that? He had been telling himself the same thing for over a year. How she didn’t give up on him and left was beyond him.

He sighed, looking out of the window. The streets around her condo were always so calm. “I keep thinking that I can fix things, but I don’t know what to do”, he looked at her, “She is beautiful, fun, smart. She is the perfect girl, mom”, he sighed again, “I don’t know what is wrong with me”.

His mother smiled sadly at him. “There is nothing wrong with you, sweetheart”. She took his hand in hers. “You are the only one that thinks that”, she gave his hand a light squeeze. “Whenever you are ready, just know there are people who love you and will be there for you”.

Brian frowned. She had been giving him this speech for years now. He hadn’t dated much when he was younger, always busy helping his mother take care of his sick father. It wasn’t until halfway through college that he had brought a girl home. He had never really been enthusiastic about any of them, even though there weren’t many, they didn’t last over a few weeks.

That until he met Suzy Bae. She became his best friend, great companion. It was only natural their relationship developed further, right? He thought his mother would be excited, she loved Suzy. She had been talking about him settling down, finding someone to share the burden of life. When he told her he was dating Suzy, he found nothing but disappointment in her eyes. It stung. He thought he was making her happy, but instead she told him he shouldn’t rush things for her sake. Sometimes he thinks he stayed with Suzy these last couple years just to prove his mother wrong, show her that he could make them both happy. Of course that went awry.

“Penny for your thoughts”, his mother called him back from his reverie.

“Sorry, mom. I’m really tired”, she stared at him silently for a moment. Then she nodded. She never pried too much, but always showed she cared.

He took her home around two and Brian resisted the urge of going back to the precinct. It wasn’t healthy, his partner would say. He had been burning the candle at both ends for the past forty-eight hours. His brain probably needed the break. Wonpil and his partner were on duty, doing due diligence. He didn’t have to worry. He drove home instead.

The small apartment was silent when he slipped in the front door, leaving his shoes in the foyer. Suzy wasn’t home. He hadn’t seen her since the night he came back from the club. She had already been sleeping, once more postponing their conversation. Brian went straight for the bathroom, he needed a shower.

The hot spray relaxed a tension in his shoulders he hadn’t realized he was carrying. This case was weighting on him harder than usual. He had been finding it difficult to keep his feelings out of it. He racked his brains trying to find out what could have broken the careful wall he lifted for everything work related. He had been feeling queasy since last Tuesday. A cold shiver ran down his spine, even though the water was still hot. He shook his head trying not to think about the crime scene.

"I'll find who did this to you," he promised to the winds, thinking of the people at The Rose who had seemed distraught with the killing. None of them seemed a likely candidate.

He turned off the water and toweled dry, stopping at the sink to brush his teeth. One look at himself in the mirror and he could see why his mother had gotten so worried about his appearance. He had dark circles forming under his eyes. He was so tired, everything seemed new and exhausting. His mind wondered to that night at the club, how confused he was with everything going on around him and with him. An image of Jinyoung’s complete dominance, leaning over his pliant but restrained sub swam up in his mind. He remembered vividly how blissed out Jaebum had looked.

A different kind of shiver made its way up his body. He looked at himself again in the mirror. He was getting hard. He wasn’t sure if it had been the thought of those two men being so open about their sexuality that they allowed others to witness it, putting their pleasure in each other on display. Brian let his hand trace the line in his abdomen, ghostly touches. The need builds, his heart races.

He touches his erection hesitantly; his other hand travelling up to play with his nipples a little. Each little twist and pinch send a jolt through his dick and he groans. He keeps his gaze fixed at his reflection. He remembers the sound of Jae’s voice so close to his skin, his comforting touch keeping Brian up, holding him together. His fingers tap lightly up and down his shaft. He is painfully hard now.

Blindly he looks for the packet of lube he keeps in the drawers. His first strokes are slow and shaky. He drags his eyes away from the mirror, sliding down to the floor. He should be ashamed of himself, so needy that he can’t muster the energy to walk back to his bedroom, lay on his bed. He presses his thumb down firmly, massaging small circles into his sweet spot. There's nothing other than the searing hot wash of arousal. He moans, licking his lips.

Brian closes his eyes and tips his head back against the cabinet. He slips his hand around his sac, his other hand giving his hard-on soft, slow attention. He can feel him there. “Breathe, Brian” he whispers in his ear, velvet voice sending an electric current through his body. Brian takes deep shaky breaths, he drags one hand back up to pull and twist at his nipple. He fucks up into his palm, grunting as he feels his orgasm start to boil in his gut. His hips writhe, heels dig into the cold tiled floor. Things Jae had told him came back: exquisite torture, absolute trust, and the knowledge that new heights could be reached by letting oneself go that far, trust in another that deeply. How would he feel if he could hold it back? If he had Jae tie him up, take control. Brian loses his breath, eyes wide as one more twist of his wrist pushes him over the edge. He moans loud as he cups his cock to his abdomen and lets it paint up his stomach.

He lets his hands fall to his sides, head hitting the wall repetitively as he tries to even out his breathing. He scrunches his eyes shut, only to feel hot tears rolling down his face. He curls in on himself on the floor and lets the sobs shake his core for a few moments. He doesn’t know why he is crying, he is losing it for sure.

Unsteadily he gets up and cleans himself as much as he can. He crawls his way to his bed, sliding between the sheets with a tearful sigh. As he closes his eyes he can’t help but think of how lonely he truly feels. It is the last thing that crosses his mind before dreams of being spanked in front of a crowd swallowed him whole.

 

***

 

The room was completely immersed in darkness by the time Brian finally woke up. There was a narrow strip of light from under the closed bathroom door. He heard movement inside it. Suzy was home. His head was throbbing and his limbs were heavy. He might be coming down with something or the weight of his pathetic existence had finally caught up with him.

He pushed his body up and sat at the edge of the bed, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light while he tried to make sense of the dark shadows around him. He was still naked. He ran his hands through his hair recklessly as he thought back to early afternoon. Something came over him and he lost control. He lost it over thoughts that should have been buried deep behind his precious wall. The bathroom door opened behind him and illuminated the space around him. He could make out the shapes and shadows now. Luggage. Suzy’s.

“Are you ok Brian?”, Suzy came around the bed. “You were dead to the world for a few hours”.

He slowly nodded, eyes glued to the pile of suitcases in front of him. “Are you going somewhere?”

The bed dipped next to him “I’m sorry, Bri”, she whispered. “I can’t take this anymore”. He looked at her. She had her hands in her lap, twisting her skirt nervously. Eyes fixed on the floor.

“You’re leaving me”, it was a statement, not a question.

“I’m sorry”, she sniffed. He thought that maybe he had to tell her to stay, that he would make things right. He couldn’t because he knew it wasn’t true. He wasn’t good for her. “It was fine in the beginning. I could cope with you being so absent because that was your job”, he took a deep breath “but you are using it to be away from me, Bri. That isn’t a good sign”.

She looked him in the eyes. Her beautiful warm face tracked with tears. Brian felt as if he was the worst human being on the planet for making her feel this way. “I’m sorry too”, he held his head low, tugging at his hair. She put a hand to his shoulder, comforting him. She wasn’t supposed to be nice to him. She was supposed to scream, throw things at him… hate him. He had failed her.

“Hey”, she drew soothing circles at his back, “this is on both of us”. She knew him too well. “I was here too. I allowed things to come this far, Brian”. She squeezed his arm and withdrew her hand. “I thought we wanted the same things, but I was wrong”.

He let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know what I want anymore”.

Suzy combed her hand through his hair, trying to sooth him from whatever pain he had bottled up. “You are a good man, Brian. A very good man. You can make… someone… really happy someday”. She kissed the top of his head. “Look… we were friends once. Maybe… maybe if we give it time, we can… be close again, just… we can’t be together anymore”.

Suzy got up, took her keys and cell phone from the dresser. The edge of his bed was magnetic. He couldn’t move. It was over. “I should leave, not you”, he told her.

“Don’t be silly”, she smiled sadly. “This was your apartment. It is closer to the station”. She put the straps of one of her bags over her shoulder. “I’ll be at my mother’s for the time being”.

“I’ll drive you there”, he finally managed to get up.

She shook her head. “No, let’s start it now. Let’s give ourselves some space. I already called a cab”.

“Let me help you with your bags then”

“Sure”, she conceded, “as soon as you put on some clothes”.

Brian scrambled to pull up some sweat pants and sneakers. He took her heaviest suitcases and carried down the corridor. They rode the elevator in silence, just this side of uncomfortable. He waited with her until her taxi pulled over in front of their… no, his building.

“Please, take care of yourself Bri”, she kissed his cheek and got in. And just like that, she was gone.

He went back to his apartment trying to wrap his head around his mess. He felt his carefully built reality slipping through his fingers. He had loosened his hand, he forgot to hold tight. He aimlessly walked around the empty apartment, picking up things he left behind like he was trying to pick up the pieces of his shell. The shrilling sound of his ringtone came through his stupor.

“Brian Kang”, he answered, voice sounding every bit as lost as he felt.

“Kid, I’ll pick you up in ten”, his partner's voice boomed from the speakers. “They found another body”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... thanks for the kudos and the nice comments! Hope you enjoyed this one as well...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello... hum... I'm late, but hey! Two updates today to compensate, ok? Almost finishing the second part.
> 
> Mild warnings: self-worth issues, panic attack

The foul smell hit him before he stepped into the crime scene. Detective Park handed him a mask, but it didn’t do much to disguise the stench of decomposing human flesh. The neighborhood wasn’t nice this time around, no fancy gardens no trees; just concrete, graffiti and melancholy.

Number 232 lacked antique furniture and elegant curtains, Brian observed. It actually lacked furniture in general. The ran down apartment building had little to none residents, so he could add perky neighbors to find the body within hours of the crime to the list of the things this place was lacking.

They greeted Wonpil at the door and were filled in the details of what information the first respondent had gathered. Nothing really useful, Brian thought. Victim's name was Martin Cheng. Landlord had come to collect rent and knocked. When no one answered he tried the handle, door was unlocked so he entered. The smell hit him immediately and then he saw the victim’s foot... and the worms. He called the police.

The sight that greeted him once he entered the bedroom was a familiar one, with the added insects and worms that come with expired exposed flesh. It wasn’t pleasant. The CSI team was doing their work, photographing and collecting anything and everything they could. In the midst of the white overalls and latex gloves, Jae was crouched next to the victim, examining some markings along his torso.

“Time of death? Any idea?”, Brian asked rounding the double bed, taking in every detail he could and trying to keep from taking deep breaths, or any for that matter.

“He has been dead for maybe a month”, Jae didn’t take his eyes away from the body. “Same staging as Kaiser’s, toys spread around the bed”. He pointed to the wall. “Same writings in blood”. _Who is the dominant now?_ Are these the work of an unsatisfied sub?

“There are no wounds on his chest”, Detective Park remarked.

“He was probably choked with this”, he used the sharp edge of the tool he had been holding to direct them to the victim’s neck. There was a black leather choker pulled tighter than it would be appropriate. “The discoloration and the swollen flesh around it seem to indicate that”, he pointed to the grey-purple stains.

“Are we going to say it was the same perpetrator?”, Wonpil asked.

 “We have to. Look at these”. Jae went back to the markings he had been observing before. Brian leaned in to better see what he was showing. “Flogging scars. They aren’t healed, so they were either made postmortem or during the torture”. Jae paused, looking up. “There are no floggers around”.

“The flogger on Kaiser’s dresser”, Brian exclaimed as his brain caught up to what Jae had been insinuating.

“Yeah. I have to test it to make sure, but it is more than likely that the blood on there is his”, his face was so close to Brian’s. Dark beady eyes that could render him helpless with their intensity. He had pretty rosy lips and... And that was completely unprofessional and incredibly disrespectful. Brian cleared his throat and walk back to where his partner was standing.

“Fucking shit”, Detective Park ran his hands up his short hair. “We might have a serial killer in our hands”. This case had been complicated and convoluted from the start, but now things just escalated. If that was indeed what they were dealing with, they were going to stumble upon more bodies.

“We need to know more about Martin Cheng”, Brian walked around the room. The closet mostly empty, save for a few shirts and a suit. There were some staked boxes on the bottom, but Brian was careful not to touch anything. The bedroom itself had little furniture, echoing the rest of the tiny apartment style. A bed, a nightstand and a dresser. “Do you see anything else that can connect the two murders?”

“Just the staging”, Wonpil shrugged.

“I may have to go back to the club, see if they know him”, Brian took his gloves off and walked out of the room.

“Do you need me to go with you?”, Jae had followed him out.

“No. It will be faster that way”, with less distractions, Brian could maybe focus on the job this time around.

“Just go home kid”, Detective Park was right behind them. “Detective Kim and his partner are on duty. They can do that”.

“Yeah, man”, Wonpil nodded. “Go back to Suzy”.

“Suzy... right”. His stomach churned. Jae was observing him curiously. “Hum... anybody need a ride?”

“I drove you here kid”, his partner raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah, right”. He felt uncomfortable in his own skin again. He had been distracted for the last two hours.

“I’ll take you home”, Jae offered. His eyes never leaving Brian’s.

“You don’t own a car”, he didn’t seem to be able to break away from Jae’s gaze.

“I was at my brother’s house when I got the call. I have his Prius parked outside”.

“Ok”. Great, just what he needed. Cramped in a small car with Jae Park.

 

***

 

They were quiet walking down the stairs to reach the tattered lobby. Jae’s car stood out as a sore thumb, pristine in the midst of shabbiness. How Brian hasn’t noticed it before was beyond him. They got in and drove out of the bankrupt area, making their way across town. They were silent for the most part, apart from the directions Brian had to give to his place. He tried keeping his eyes either on the road ahead or the concrete structures passing by his window, but occasionally he would find himself studying Jae, betrayed by his thought and interest on the heart-shaped mouth and calm inquisitive eyes that would spare a glance or two at him at the red lights. He was a handsome man, magnetic.

“Is everything ok?”, Jae’s silky dense voice startled him. They were nearing his apartment building, maybe ten minutes away.

“Yeah, peachy”, Brian huffed more out of mild embarrassment for being caught staring.

“Seriously, Brian. You didn’t seem ok back there and you certainly don't seem ok now”, he stopped at a red light and turned to look at Brian. He just had to look away, afraid those dark piercing eyes could see right through him.

“Nothing I can’t handle”, he locked his arms in front of his chest like a stubborn child trying to keep his heart from pouring out. What is it with Jae that makes him want to be so open, honest?

“I’m hungry”, he stated nodding his head like he had just made a decision. “Let’s grab something to eat before I take you home”, Brian snapped his head back, Jae had put the car in motion and was already turning left, away from Brian’s place.

“I rather go home”, he said weakly. That wasn’t true at all. Home was cold, lonely and a constant reminder of his failures. Jae just glanced at him. He knew.

“Breathe, Brian”. Those words. Why did they bring Brian back from whatever funk he was getting into? It wasn’t a command, it was a whispered encouragement. It washed over Brian just like the first time. He closed his eyes and took a shaky deep breath.

The diner was three-quarters empty when they arrived just before ten o'clock. There was a group of young men in their twenties, clearly drunk, giggling over a few burgers as a stern woman dining alone hopped on a stool near the counter looked on and frowned. A pretty brunette in a faded yellow waitress uniform was cleaning the empty tables. It was a cozy well-lit interior, nicely decorated and clean despite the rattled appearance. It seemed like somewhere Brian would eat, not Jae.

“Hey Momo”, the blond man shot when they got in. Well, clearly Brian was wrong.

“Oppa!”, the cute waitress smiled brightly. “Take a seat. I’ll tell Heechulie you’re here. The usual?”

“Just bring us the special”, he looked at Brian who just shrugged and nodded. He wasn’t hungry, anything would do.

Jae took a corner seat and Brian resisted the urge of sliding next to him and seating closer, pulling the chair in front of him instead and plopping down heavily. For a few moments they sat there in complete silence, Brian distracting himself with rearranging the salt and pepper shakers on the table. When it started to get a bit ridiculous, he sighed and looked up. Jae smiled at him, his face once more radiating that innocence and open honesty like the first time they met a few days ago. Has it been just days?

“So…hum”, Brian’s throat was dry. “What is the special?”

Jae shook his head a bit, but kept the warm smile that made Brian’s stomach do flips. “Probably pulled pork sandwich and fries. Special sauce, though”.

“You come here often?”, that sounded like a cheesy pick-up line, didn’t it?

Jae shrugged. “I know the owner”. Jesus, does he know everyone in town?

They fell silent again, Brian now playing with the napkins. He felt fidgety and mildly uncomfortable, not because he was there with Jae, but because of how comfortable it was starting to feel. Well, wasn’t he fucked up in the head?

“Brian”, he looked up at the soft call. “We can talk about the case. You don’t have to tell me anything”. He covered Brian’s restless hand with his own, long smooth fingers touching Brian’s wrist. “We’ve met just a few days ago”, he smiled. “It’s not like I expect you to pour your heart out to a stranger”.

“You’re definitely not a stranger”, Brian breathed out. He wasn’t. It had been quite a week, a rollercoaster of emotions Brian thought he had long buried and forgotten.

“Ok, a pushy nosy acquaintance”, his smile widened. Brian failed at suppressing a smile too.

The waitress, Momo, came around their table with their food and drinks. Two tall iced teas and what looked like the fanciest sandwich Brian had ever seen with a side of what looked like potato skin curls. The brunette smiled at them and left, winking at Jae when she did so. Brian realized he still had his hand on the table, Jae’s fingers caressing his skin lightly. Was he doing it absently? Brian didn’t want to delve on it, mainly because he didn’t want it to stop.

“This is quite at odds with this place”, he said looking at the beautifully presented plates.

“I didn’t peg you as one to care for appearances that much”, Jae laughed. But he was, wasn’t he? That is what he had been doing his whole life. He was a walking fraud. Brian sank a little in his chair. “Hey!”, Jae gave his hand a light squeeze. “Don’t do that”.

“Do what?”, Brian tried to take his hand back, but Jae held it firmly this time.

“Don’t beat yourself up for no good reason. Don’t know if it what I said or something else entirely… just, don’t”.

“You seem to think you know me quite well for a pushy nosy acquaintance”, Brian grunted.

Jae let go of his hand and Brian almost whimpered at the loss. “I’m sorry”, he said simply, picking up his sandwich. Brian released another shaky breath and did the same. The first bite changed his mood quite drastically.

“Fuck, this is good”, he mumbled through a mouthful. Jae chuckled lightly.

“Ah, the magic of good food”, he smiled.

They ate in silence. Brian felt awkward and yet a little bit in awe that Jae could read him that well. He kept glancing at the blond man, trying to build the courage to say something, to say he was sorry for what he had said. After a few minutes, Jae just put his sandwich down and sighed.

“You did nothing wrong”, he took a sip of his iced tea.

“Are you a fucking mind reader?”

“I’m just good at reading people”, Jae shrugged, “and you are quite an open book”.

“Just around you, apparently”, Brian huffed. “My poker face seems to work for anyone else”.

“Maybe at work, but for the most part you are quite open with people you are, or want to be, closer with”.

“Am I, now?”

“Yes”, Jae shrugged nonchalantly once more. “Your partner, for one”. And touché. Detective Park did know him quite well. Maybe his mother and Suzy too and now Jae, apparently.

Brian played with his food a bit. “We never talked about what happened in the club”, he could barely hear his own voice.

Jae leaned in, giving his full attention. “Is this something you want to talk about?”

“No… yes… I don’t know”. He wasn’t his most eloquent self today. He kept picking on the crumbs that had fallen on the table. Jae took his hand again, caressing it lightly near his pulse. Brian didn’t complain, he quite liked it.

“It was a different experience for you”, Jae said gently.

Brian took a deep breath. “It was… interesting”, he closed his eyes and leaned back. “Eye opening. Enlightening”. Brian shook his head. “To tell you the truth, I was fascinated. It's a world I never suspected existed, and there are codes of honor and rules and depths to the relationships that go beyond anything I've ever seen before. It's like waking up one morning to find a veil over my eyes was removed, and I can see a whole element of life I've never noticed”, he said in a rush.

Words just tumbled out of his mouth as Jae held his hand like he was holding his whole self. This was strangely reassuring and Brian felt more comfortable and safe than he ever felt before. It was definitely new and bizarre to feel that way about someone he barely knew.

Jae laced their fingers together. “That's how it was for me when I was first introduced to the scene. It was overwhelming, to say the least”.

“How… how did you get used to it?” Brian asked looking at their entwined hands. It made him feel oddly brave.

“I found someone who was open to explaining things. You'll find that most people are. I just started asking questions and they guided me through experimenting”, Jae’s thumb caressed his skin. “Like you are doing now”.

He had a boyish virtuousness about him, one that Brian knew was simply a by-product of his looks, because to be who and what he was, he had to have seen and done some incredible things. Perhaps it was a combination of his open face and his lack of judgment in his not-completely-professional interest in the lifestyle that night at The Rose that made Brian comfortable talking to him in a way that he couldn't talk to anyone else. He kept trying to reason with the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Brian smiled. He sat a little bit straighter. "Tell me, how much damage can a flogger do?”, bringing the subject around the case again could be easier.

“There are different details in the construction of a flogger that can change how it impacts. The cut of the ends for one, the weight and width of the tails, the material it's made of. For example, a narrower lash will sting more, and a wider lash will have a more thudding impact because the force of the blow is spread over a wider area. Depending on the person being whipped, standard usage is between twenty-five and thirty strokes. Beveled or rounded ends hurt less. Slanted ends, if the wielder is good at it, can make the tiny points sting so nicely. Depends on what you're looking for in the flogging”.

Brian stared, surprised. Jae was talking about whipping someone as if he were describing different types of golf clubs and whether someone preferred a gloved hand to a bare one. Jae laughed at his expression.

“You obviously know what you're talking about, but you're so comfortable with it despite what people might think of you”, Brian said, shaking his head.

“I've gotten my share of judgment from people, but I've learned that this is who I am, and if they judge me, it's either out of fear of the unknown or an unwillingness to learn, and in both cases, why should I care what someone like that thinks?”

“Well, there's a lot of reading between the lines there”

Jae leaned in closer. “The fundamental difference, and probably the reason I do this at all, is the level of communication in a Dom/sub relationship is so much deeper than anything I've ever seen in the vanilla world. There's no room for playing with words, reading between the lines or being coy because mind reading can get you hurt. You have to be a hundred percent honest about what you like and don't like and your limits”.

Brian blushed as his mind took him back to the man and his Dom, who had been masturbating him for hours. “That… night… what I noticed most was how well the Dom seemed to read his sub, what he had to do to keep him where he wanted him. He trusted his sub to turn himself over, and the sub trusted him to take over. It was an intimate thing to watch, even aside from the sexuality of it”, he cleared his throat as his voice got hoarser.

“Ah, the power exchange”, Jae leaning back and letting go of Brian’s hand. “A submissive's greatest gift is giving someone else control”, he smiled warmly. “As I told you the day we met, it takes more courage to kneel before another than to stand beside them. Subs are not weak. They simply choose to let someone else fulfill their desires, and trust that person to do so. They put their Dom's wishes ahead of their own, and their payoff is a happy Dom, who also rewards them with praise and love and the safety net of guiding them around life's obstacles”.

“Is that always the case?”, Brian’s mind flashed to the two corpses laying on the precinct’s basement. Not everyone in the scene was thoughtful and trustworthy like Jae.

“Unfortunately, there are people who had something bad happen to them at the hands of someone dangerous, who either failed to see or didn't acknowledge their limits and went beyond them. Or people who have traumas in their past for which they think they deserve punishment and are seeking that through submitting to others. The good Doms see this for what it is and won't oblige until the sub gets help, but like any subset of people, there are bad eggs”, he sighed defeated, like he carried the blame for every single person that got hurt. Brian knew that feeling well.

“Like our killer”, Brian supplied still grappling to steer the conversation away from his personal feelings.

“Yes, probably”, Jae didn’t seem to mind the shift. “He went after a Dom, not a sub, though. The amount of trauma George Kaiser suffered speaks of someone with a point to prove”, he paused.

“We may need a profiler”

“I can recommend one. He can be lent from another precinct as this is a sensitive case”.

“Do you know everybody in town?”, Brian was amazed. Jae could literally provide anything he needed. He swallowed hard around a gulp of iced tea as to what this thought could entail.

Jae laughed heartily. “It does seem like that, doesn’t it? No, I can count on my fingers the number of people I really know. The profiler is my brother”.

They finished their meal in peculiarly companionable silence. Momo came back to pick up their plates and Jae paid her, despite Brian’s protests. “I dragged you here”, he had said as he pulled a few bills from his wallet and placed them on the waitress’ hand. “Tell Heechul I’ll be back to chat another day”, and with that they left.

The crispy night air hit Brian’s face and he closed his eyes breathing in the city around them. He felt Jae step next to him, his soothing musky scent persuading Brian to relax. They walked to Jae’s car, shoulders touching, observing the quiet street ahead of them. Brian got in even though he couldn’t be more than a few blocks away from home.

“I meant to ask before”, Jae broke the silence tentatively as they found themselves in the private space of the Prius. “Is this something you want to try? This lifestyle?”

Brian took in the soothing scent again, heightened by the closed quarters. “I don’t know if I’d be cut out for that”.

“You wanna know what I think, Brian?" Jae asked when their eyes met, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. Brian nodded. He wouldn’t dare speaking now that Jae had that powerful aura surrounding him again. “I think you'd make a fantastic submissive". Brian tried protesting, but Jae just stopped him with two fingers on his lips. “You thrive in the more structured environment of your job, where there are rules to follow and procedures in place for how to behave. You most likely emotionally submit to people you love, but they usually don’t realize the gift they have, and so you think they don't appreciate you or what you do. You thrive in pleasing people, making them happy and when they aren’t you consider yourself a failure, unworthy. How far off base am I?”

“Not far, I guess”, his voice was thin, taken aback by Jae’s words.

“There is nothing wrong with you”. He smiled. “You should talk to your girlfriend about that. If what your partner says is true, she is a good woman and will listen”. His partner? Have they been talking about him behind his back? Brian sank further down the passenger seat when Jae started the car. Jae glanced at him and sighed. “I asked about her. He gave me that answer. That was all”.

Mind reader. “She left me”, he let out in an unsteady breath holding his seatbelt as if it could protect more than his body.

Jae seemed surprised. “I’m sorry”, was all he said.

“Not her fault”, Brian felt small. “I couldn’t give her what she wanted”

“Did you fight?”, Jae had his eyes glued to the road ahead.

“No”, Brian turned his head to look outside as he felt a tear track down his face. He had been so raw and out of control lately. “She is, you know? A good woman. She just couldn’t pretend anymore”. Why did he feel like he had to justify her to Jae?

“And you could?” He could see Jae’s fuzzy reflection on the car window. He had his forehead twisted into a frown.

“I don’t know”. He probably couldn’t and he was slowly coming to terms with that. She saw it before he did, she understood the pressure he was putting on himself to try to be what she wanted and failing miserably at every step of the way. She knew him, she had been his friend. She probably saw him for who he was and knew exactly what he wanted deep inside. She knew she wouldn’t be able to give him that. She was a good woman. She was a woman.

The car came to a stop and Brian recognized his building’s front entrance through the tears that were now blurring his vision at every realization he had rolling through his body. He murmured a ‘thank you’ and stepped out of the car. He moved as fast as he could without looking back. His head was swimming, his chest hurt and he felt as worthless as he knew he was. Waiting for the elevator was painful and he started to feel breathless. He vaguely heard footsteps hurriedly coming towards him as he all but collapsed on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up in an hour or two


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok...it took more that an hour... but here it is.

Brian felt heavy. His body didn’t respond to his commands and he couldn’t think, move or do anything properly, feeling himself slide down the wall as he tried to grasp for the last of his strength. Strong hands and a familiar musk held him up. “Brian, please, breathe”, he heard Jae whisper in his ear. He had to do it, hadn’t he? He tried taking in deep breaths. They were difficult and rickety and he felt his whole body shudder. The elevator’s doors opened and Jae all but carried him inside. He kept Brian close to him. His body, warm and comforting, pressing against his and holding him up. Jae kept talking to him, soothing him. He told him he was good, he was worth it. Brian wanted to doubt but Jae was saying it. He couldn’t doubt Jae, could he?

He felt both of them slide to the floor. Jae holding him, one hand on his waist bringing him closer, other in his hair running his fingers through his dark strands. He had both legs stretched out as much as he could in the tight space, bracketing Brian’s limp body. He kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose without letting up the praises and the whispered instructions to breathe. Breathe deep, breathe slowly. He started trembling and the other just held him tighter, a nice warm feeling spreading through Brian’s body as it fought the lingering sensations of whatever that had been. They stayed there for a while. Brian lost count of the seconds. Or was it minutes? He buried his face on Jae’s neck; breathing in and out the other’s scent like it was his personal balm.

“Hey”, Jae softly said lifting his face by the chin. “Come back, ok?” he caressed Brian’s cheeks with his thumb.

Brian blinked owlishly, trying to shake the cobwebs that had formed in his mind. “What happened?”

“I think you had a panic attack”, Jae didn’t stop stroking his face. His long fingers gently brushing against Brian’s lips.

“That’s a new one”, he tried for humor but it came out strained.

“Too much, too fast”, Jae kissed his forehead again. It felt good. It felt right. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize how things were for you sooner”

Brian frowned. Did Jae think it was his fault? “Why? You didn’t do anything”

Jae held him even closer. “I was careless”, he kissed his forehead again. “I should know better". Brian thought to protest, but Jae pushed his head back to his chest and kept on combing through his hair. His body started to lose the tension it had built up and he started getting sleepy. “Hey, don’t fall asleep here”, he said close to his ear, eliciting a full body quiver that had probably nothing to do with being panicked.

Brian unsteadily got up with Jae’s help. The elevator’s doors were closed but they weren’t moving. He frowned looking at Jae. “Are we stuck?”, he dumbly asked.

“No… I just hit the button to close the doors”, Jae said sheepishly. “I had no idea what floor was yours”.

“Right, of course”, he nodded absently as got himself lost in thought.

He hit the button and the elevator jumped to life. He got out and walked down the long hallway realizing Jae had been following him when he opened his front door. Their eyes met again and he could see the concern in the blond man’s eyes. It made him feel inappropriately pleased.

“You should drink some water”, Jae said from the threshold, observing Brian as he wobbly moved around the cramped living room seemly with no purpose.

“Ok”, He stopped in the middle and turned to the kitchen door, steadier now that someone gave him a purpose. “Do you want some?”

Jae stepped in and closed the door behind him. Brian took that as a yes and went to the kitchen. He felt, more than saw Jae follow him there too. There wasn’t much space for them both. Brian took two glasses from the cabinet and filled them with water, handing one to Jae. He noticed his hands were still shaking.

“You should drink it, Brian”, Jae said holding his glass close to his lips. Brian did as he was told. He hadn’t realized how dry his throat was. He filled another glass. He looked at the clock in his microwave. It was past midnight.

“How long were we there?”, he asked between swigs.

“Thirty, maybe forty minutes”, Jae answered, slowly drinking his water.

Damn, he completely lost track of anything. He took a few deep breaths, leaning on the kitchen counter for a little more support. He could feel his body starting to relax. “How did you know what to do?”

Jae seemed to be a little discomfited. “Hum… I didn’t. I…”, he shook his head smiling. “I did what I used to when my submissive experienced an extreme sub drop”. He shrugged a little, “but you have to ask my brother for the particulars on why that worked”.

“Sub drop?”

“Yeah, it is a temporary depression or chemical imbalance experienced by submissive after an intense scene. It can be short lived or a delayed reaction. Dominants are responsible for the subs well-being for that period, making sure they are safe, sane and healthy”, he paused, looking around. “Do you have any fruit juice? That may be better than water”.

Brian couldn’t help but smile. He was starting to feel marginally better and he was pretty sure it was because of the man standing in front of him. He opened his fridge and took out a carton of orange juice, poured a glass and drank without taking his eyes from Jae. The latter observed him attentively, smile playing mischievously at the corner of his lips.

“Like that?”, Brian asked placing the empty glass in the sink.

“Yeah”, Jae smirked. “You look more yourself now”

“Yeah? And what is that?”, is he flirting with Jae? It sure sounds like he is.

“Strong, confident”, he took a step forward.

“I think you have me confused with…” Jae cut him off again with those two fingers up his lips.

“Strong and confident”, he repeated closer to Brian now. He moved his fingers over Brian’s lips, thumb tracing his jaw line. “Beautiful”.

Brian’s breath hitched. He couldn’t look away from Jae’s passionate gaze. In a surge of courage he curled his lips on Jae’s fingers, tip of his tongue darting out to touch them. He was definitely past flirting now. Jae’s eyes widened a fraction, but he didn’t move away. Brian studied him. He was waiting. Waiting to see what Brian wanted, waiting for him to decide. He kissed the tip of his fingers and moved his hand away from his face. As he leaned in he realized, with a fluttering feeling in his chest, that he had to look slightly up to meet Jae’s eyes at this distance. He moved Jae’s hand to his hips and he felt the other clutch, hold him like he wanted this to continue and was afraid Brian would let go.

He moved his hand up to touch the heart shaped lips he had admired the whole night. Soft plush lips, rosy and inviting. He traced the sharp lines round his face and tangled his hands in the soft blond hair. Lips a breath away from each other he could see the other’s eyes darken a fraction, dilated pupils telling Brian he was ready for this too.

“I like the way you see me”, he said; warm breath hovering the parted lips. It was all Jae could take as he surged to take Brian’s mouth in his, a growl escaping his lungs as Brian opened up for him immediately, shivers traveling through his body at the sound. One of his hands released Jae’s hair to knot his fist in his shirt, pulling him harder against him.

Brian groaned softly as Jae’s arms circled him. Their tongues danced in a fight for dominance, the kiss deep and passionate, until Jae’s hands travelled beyond his waist, grabbing Brian’s ass and pulling him up towards him as if he was trying to fuse the two of them together. The action made Brian’s now growing erection rub against Jae’s jeans-clad thigh. He moaned giving Jae the power to ravish his mouth, dominating his senses as he kept moving Brian’s hips the same way to keep him moaning helplessly. Brian let him, he let go. Jae led, Brian followed.

Jae broke from the kiss to press a series of small kisses and nips to Brian's collarbones, never relenting on the slow soft rhythm he set for his hips. Each touch sent goosebumps skittering across Brian’s skin, each kiss made his breath stutter, and each pinch of Jae's teeth went straight to his dick. He was painfully hard under jeans and cotton.

“Maybe I should go”, Jae murmured nipping gently where neck and shoulder met.

“I want you to stay”, Brian managed to push out before a particularly strong drag of fabrics made him see stars and moan loudly. Jae kissed his lips, languidly sliding his tongue in and out, making Brian’s breath come in short, mewling gasps.

Then it all stopped. It took Brian a few seconds to focus his dazed mind and see what had happened. Jae was still close to him, hair completely disheveled, lips pink and glistening. But he wasn’t touching Brian. He frowned trying to shake the last tendrils of arousal and form a question, a sentence… anything.

“I need you to be sure, Brian”, Jae spoke as Brian was still trying to catch his breath. He was sure. He was definitely sure. He shook his head because he didn’t trust his voice. “Use your words”, Jae said gently.

“I’m sure”, Brian said voice hoarse and breathy. “I want you. God, I’ve wanted you since the day I met you”.

Jae smiled and pulled him back for another mind blowing kiss. The touch of their lips was once again electric. Brian had the fleeting thought, now that his mind was less hazy, that this was nothing like kissing a woman and that thrilled him. Despite his baby-faced jaw, his skin was rougher than Brian was used to, the hint of whiskers setting a flurry of firing nerves through his face and down to his gut. He moaned into the kiss, pushing his hips forward, chasing the friction from before. Jae’s hand held him by the belt loop to halt him. He whimpered and was about to complain when Jae made quick work of his button and fly and pushed his hand past cotton to feel his hard-on. Skin on skin, Brian practically howled at the feeling of clearly non-feminine fingers firmly grabbing him making him thrust his hips forward mindlessly.

“As much as it would be hot to take you right here in the kitchen”, Jae whispered as he leisurely stroked Brian’s cock, “I think you would be more comfortable in bed”.

Bed. Right. Brian’s brain was trying hard to keep at the task, but he found it difficult to string two thoughts together. He clumsily guided Jae down the short corridor to his bedroom, stopping more than once along the way to kiss and be kissed. They left pieces of clothes on their way, a messy needy display that would probably embarrass Brian later. Later, right now he lost himself in the feel of strong arms, a definable ridge of flesh pressing into his hip. He groaned, cock fully erect and bobbing against his stomach. He never felt so charged, so aroused.

Jae lowered him to his bed, one knee between his slightly parted legs, bending down to kiss his neck. He still had his feet on the floor, toes digging in the carpet as Jae peppered his chest with kisses.

"You call the shots, okay? If you want to stop, we stop". Jae wanted to make sure he was ok all through this.

Brian nodded. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but I don't want to stop," he murmured.

Brian all but whimpers as the blond man moves lower, letting his hands thread into Jae’s messy hair again. Jae trails his hot tongue down Brian’s torso, licking and kissing until his mouth latches onto a nipple. He sends Brian a wicked grin before biting at the pink skin. Brian thrives in the sensation, arching his back so hard that it lifts from the bed. The onslaught to his nipples kept going as his hand slid lower, blunt nails scrapping unblemished skin, fingers twirling playfully with the dusting of pubic hair inches away from his swollen dick, already leaking pre-cum. He shifted over Brian, letting go of the abused nubs to run his hand up and down his thighs.

“What do you want?”, he asked softly. Saying "everything" to the Dom straddling him could mean more trouble than Brian could handle at the moment. He froze as the thought dawned on him. What if he wanted everything… now? He didn’t think he was ready for any of that and he wanted Jae to like it, to like him…

"Stop," he murmured. "I can get into regular sex as much as the next guy, so quit overthinking”. One day, the mind reading thing would get annoying. Jae bent down to capture his lips again in a soft kiss, making him relax.

“It is convenient how you seem to see right through me”, Brian said between kisses.

Jae smiled, tracing a line with maddening light touches from his lips to his chest. “Your face is so open, it's hard not to see what's written there”, he kissed down Brian’s stomach again. “So, what do you want?”.

“I… you…” Brian lost his ability to speak. He wanted to feel Jae, he wanted it to be real. He wanted it to be how he always felt it should be, but stubbornly thought he couldn’t. Jae waited patiently, dark beady eyes watchful and warm. “I want you to fuck me”.

“Are you sure?”, he asked, halting any movement he was doing before. “Once it is done, there is no turning back”.

“Yes, I’m sure”, Brian pushed himself up to catch his lips on a fiery kiss. “I want you”. Jae held him there, hand on the back of his neck, savoring every flick of tongue. He felt a little bolder, so his hands travelled down to find Jae’s erection. He stroked him reveling in the sensation of having another man in his hand. He liked it, especially when Jae shivered on top of him, resting his forehead on Brian’s shoulder, groaning softly.

“Oh shit”, he breathed out. “I couldn't take my eyes off you during that first meeting and the day at the club. I was so afraid you'd complain about harassment or something”. He moaned and pushed his hips forward when Brian sped his wrist. After a minute or two, Jae gently took Brian’s hand away. “I'll make it good for you," he said, lips teasing Brian’s throat. He groaned and thrust up into him, hopefully conveying that he wanted it sooner rather than later. “Lube? Condom?”

“Nightstand, second drawer”. Jae stretched away from Brian to take what he needed. The supplies thumped to the bed beside his head and a body tremor coasted through him. _He is doing this. He is really doing this._

Jae didn’t waste time, going back to what he had been doing before: driving Brian out of his mind. His tongue curled against his skin, traveling down his chest, flicking wetly at his nipples and lower, into his belly button. His fingers wrapped around Brian’s cock and pulled it from his abdomen, his tongue licking around the head and pushing into the slit.

“mmmhmmh.. hol…holly fuuuck”, he moans and groans as Jae licks and pulls and sucks him off in a way that leaves Brian grasping at Jae’s shoulder as he gives himself over to the soft, hot, wet attention of Jae's mouth.

His hand curled around the base of Brian’s throbbing erection and pumped where his lips didn't reach. Jae slid down to the floor, on his knees, pulling Brian closer to the edge of the bed. The change made it easy for him to swallow Brian down, his dick bumping the back of Jae’s throat. Brian’s eyes widened and his breathing ripped from him in staccato bursts. He popped off with an audible sound, moving lower to mouth Brian’s balls and bathe his skin with his tongue.

Brian spread his legs shamelessly and fire curled in his gut as Jae licked up the crease between leg and pelvis. Flushed and wanting, breathing raggedly, he groaned when Jae sucked him down again, making his eyes roll back into his head. Jae released him completely and Brian tried to command his body to hold on. He didn’t want to cum this soon.

“Move up the bed”, Jae told him and he obeyed, scooting backwards and turning so his head rested on the pillows. He sat up between Brian’s legs, grabbing a bottle and flipping open the top, pouring a generous amount of lube into his hand. “Hold your legs back, behind your knees”. Brian released a shaky breath and did as he was told. He felt vulnerable, exposed. His eyes met Jae’s seeking comfort.

“This will be more comfortable”, Jae reassured Brian as his hand disappeared between Brian’s cheeks just before he felt the caress of fingertips at his entrance. Brian groaned as one of his fingers dipped inside, gently. The intrusion wasn't uncomfortable, but it was strange, and it took him a moment to adapt.

“Don't fight me," Jae murmured. "Push out”. Brian nodded and did as he said, and the pressure eased even as he inserted the whole finger. Brian breathed steadily, relaxing as Jae’s other hand gently caressed the inside of his thigh, soothing his rattled nerves. Jae thrusts a few times and adds a second finger, going a bit faster and making Brian groan as the stretch became pleasurable instead of purely odd. Jae licked his lips and smiled down Brian’s body appreciatively, making him shiver.

The slow and soft rhythm was starting to make Brian fidgety and he started to wonder if that was all there was to it when a jolt shot through his pelvis and made his dick stand straight up before slapping back against his abdomen, taking his breath away. He looked at Jae, shocked.

“Meet your prostate," he chuckled, rubbing the same spot again.

“Aaah…fuck”. Brian moaned helplessly. Lightning crackled along his spine and he writhed, seeking more. He let his legs fall on the bed feeling his whole body rock as he fisted the duvet trying to ground himself, but it was useless. Jae rubbed that spot mercilessly until Brian was in such a daze that he was a babbling fool asking for more, to stop, for anything, for him. He wasn’t coherent anymore. After a few moments, Jae pulled his hand back and gripped Brian’s knees, shifting to kneel between his legs.

"Last chance to change your mind," he said softly.

“Don’t stop”, Brian desperately pleaded, spreading himself open in wanton invitation. Jae rolled in the condom and grabbed Brian’s hips. The head of Jae’s cock pressed against his opening and stretched him beyond what his fingers had. Brian hissed as the pressure increased, trying to remember to push out.

When the ring of muscle gave and he slipped inside, Brian gave a low whimper, gripping Jae’s forearms, eyes wide and breathing uneven. The burn overtook the pleasure Jae had built up, and Brian began to quietly freak out. Jae softly caressed every patch of skin he could reach, making soothing noises; his hands rubbing up and down the back of Brian’s thighs while still holding him spread for him.

“Damn, you're so beautiful”, he praised as he waited for Brian to get used to the intrusion, for the burn to abate and pain give way to pleasure again. He kept his eyes on Brian’s waiting for a signal. Brian took a deep breath and nodded, showing he was ready for more. Jae slowly thrust inside him, not stopping until he was fully buried, but not rushing either. He breathed through clenched teeth before releasing Brian’s legs and lowering himself to his elbows on either side of Brian’s shoulders. He kisses him languorously, tongue gently caressing Brian from inside out. Brian brought his hands up to Jae’s hair, combing through the silky blond strands. He flies with the rush of sensations, being stretched full by Jae’s dick and penetrated by Jae’s tongue.

Gently, Jae began to rock, gradually increasing the thrusts until the pace was measured, strong, and sure. “You feel incredible”, Jae whispers and kisses down his cheeks.

“You, too”, Brian answers baring his neck for Jae, hands moving to his back, feeling the muscles there twitch. He moans low with each push in, speared and filled and complete. Jae pulls out and before Brian can protest he pushes back into him , hard. “Oooh… yeees… do that again”. Jae does as he asked slamming home once, twice.

He puts a little more force in his thrusts slapping his balls against Brian’s ass. He grabs Brian’s thighs and makes him wrap his legs around him. He pulls Brian up, the change making him sink deeper and Brian howls his pleasure, eyes rolling back in his head and body going limp as Jae fucks into him. His vision blurs, his thoughts jumble and Brian is nothing more than a drooling ragged doll in Jae’s hands.

Jae changes their position again, laying Brian back on the mattress and griping his shoulder tight. He starts pounding Brian into the mattress, low grunts escaping Jae’s lips as sweat beaded on his forehead. Brian musters all his energy to wrap his legs back at Jae’s waist. Every thrust was accompanied by a yank of his hands on Brian’s shoulders, and he submitted to Jae’s need filling him, stabbing him, as he hold on for the ride. Jae rears up and grips the headboard of the bed, changing the angle once more, ramming Brian’s prostate on every thrust.

White fire courses through his body, hitting his gut and lower. Without a hand on his cock, Brian cums with a long drawn out moan, long ropes of semen splattering his stomach and chest. His vision flares white behind closed eyelids and his limbs go completely limp at his sides. Jae thrusts a few more times, throwing his head back and crying out his pleasure. Brian can distantly feel the pulse of his cock as he emptied into the condom, erratically thrusting with convulsions that wracked his body making he collapse on top of him.

They spent a few moments trying to catch their breaths. Brian’s arms wound around Jae’s back, feebly caressing him in his pleasure induced coma. Jae was heavy, not enough that he couldn’t breathe, although shallowly. When Jae began to come back to himself, he knelt up again, carefully pulling out and sitting back on his heels, his chest heaving. He stripped off the condom and dropped it in a small trash can in the bathroom. He sat at the edge of the bed and Brian could see he was shaking.

That brought him back quickly. He hastily cleaned the semen from his torso and abdomen with the top sheet, he could wash that later, before wrapping his arms around him from behind. He said nothing, just kissed his damp shoulder and nuzzled his neck, breathing in his scent now permeated with sex.

“Are you okay?”, Jae asked quietly.

“Yeah…I’m… phenomenal” Brian mumbled through Jae’s skin. “You?”

“I… hum”, he hesitated. Brian let go of him, doubt starting to creep its way back to his mind. Jae took his hand before he could get away and brought him to his lap. “That was intense”, he said, forehead touching Brian’s. “You sure you're okay? I didn't hurt you?”, he asked gently holding Brian’s chin, searching his face for something.

“That was perfect”, he softly kissed Jae’s lips. He felt one part sappy and two parts relieved that he hadn’t screwed up or disappointed Jae. “You didn’t hurt me”, he caressed Jae’s eyebrows trying to sooth the frown he was caring.

“Ok”, he put Brian back on the bed and pulled the duvet for him to slide under it. Brian settled comfortably and beckoned Jae to join him. Lying on his back, Jae curls his arm around Brian’s shoulders to pull him closer, urging him to rest his head on his chest. Brian fell asleep to the rhythmic run of Jae’s fingers through his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very long smuty scene so you guys can forgive me :)


	8. Chapter 8

His cell phone went off announcing the beginning of a brand-new work day. Brian groaned and shifted in his sleepy state trying to reach the menacing object, his hands met flesh instead. Recollection of the previous night bloomed and he smiled. Jae was still asleep, on his stomach, bangs covering his eyes as his longish blond hair spread on the pillow. He looked innocent, peaceful, nothing like the force that had taken Brian apart last night.

He carefully reached for his phone to turn off the alarm. It was quite early. They could manage getting in a few minutes late, right? Are they going to go to work together? Did Jae need to go home? _Shit_. He hasn’t thought this through. They worked together, people are going to notice and talk. What is he supposed to do now?

“I can literally hear your brain exploding from here”, Jae’s voice was rough with sleep.

“Sorry”, he mumbled, getting out of the covers. Before he could get up, Jae stopped him circling his waist, holding him close.

“Talk to me”, he said into Brian’s skin. He kissed Brian’s shoulder and nuzzled his neck, sending delicious shivers up and down Brian’s body. He tried to relax under his soothing touch. He took a deep breath and leaned back, resting his head on Jae’s shoulder.

“We have to go to work”

“Yes, I know that”, Jae’s hands on his stomach were making soft circles over his skin. “Why is that worrying you?”. He kissed Brian’s forehead, lips lingering, waiting for an answer.

“I… they don’t…”, how could Brian say this without hurting Jae? Without making him think he regretted any of this?

“Nobody needs to know”, Jae kissed his lips, a soft peck, a promise.

No, Brian doesn’t want any more secrets. He is done with lying now, isn’t he? He is making progress into accepting who he is, what he wants. “I want them to know… just…”

“Just not now”, Jae’s hands moved to caress his thighs. He kissed and nipped at the shell of Brian’s ear, eliciting a soft moan from him.

“Yeah…”, he breathed out, relaxing into Jae’s body. He felt the other’s hands getting closer to his cock, already at half mast just for the light touches. “I don’t regret it”, he rushed out between moans as Jae touched him, fingers gingerly playing with his dick until it was fully erect.

“So you liked it?”, Jae kissed him again, this time a long sensual kiss that made Brian’s toes curl. One hand circled his cock, loosely touching it. The other travelled up Brian’s body, until it found his nipple.

“mmmh… yeah, I did”, Brian closed his eyes, sighing. ‘It… ooooh… p-perfect”. He couldn’t keep himself from moaning.

“Then you shouldn’t worry about anything”, Jae’s hand was rough on him, gathering pre-cum to help ease friction. He was gentle still, too gentle.

“aaah… I…won’t”, he buried his face on Jae’s neck when the blond started jerking him in earnest. He didn’t keep Brian waiting, making fast work of his erection, other hand reaching down to fondle with his balls. Brian pants and moans, hands fisting the sheets.

When Jae moves one of his hands to reach behind Brian, he slips a finger in without warning, making Brian arch his back, hips chasing both sensations, indecisively. Jae kisses Brian’s open mouth, running his tongue over lips, feeling Brian’s hot puffs of breath frantic with pleasure. Jae adds a second finger and Brian loses it, arching one last time as his dick shoots string after string, body slamming back to Jae’s. He buries his face in neck again, as he shivers through the aftershock of his orgasm. Why is everything he does with Jae so intense?

“Good morning”, Jae kisses the bridge of his nose playfully when he seems to have finally come down from his high.

“Yeah”, Brian tries to catch his breath. He smiles when Jae circles his waist again, leaning his chin on his shoulder. “Good morning to you, too”.

“It certainly is”, they both chuckle. “Are you ok, now?”

Brian nods. “How can you make me feel so comfortable so fast?”

“It’s a talent”, he laughs into his skin. “Touch seems to be something that soothes you. I can just do… hum… more now”

“Is that why you kept holding my hand last night at the diner?”, not only that, but every time he felt out of place or anxious, if Jae was around, he would touch him in some comforting way, offering support. It’s been less than a week. Maybe he should be worried about that, but he just felt warm inside.

“That and… the fact that I really wanted to touch you”. Jae holds him a bit closer, hiding his face.

“Please tell me we will be doing this again”, Brian didn’t mean to sound desperate. He could feel Jae smiling against his skin.

“I would like that very much, Brian”. Jae kisses his shoulder one more time before getting up. Brian turned around on the bed. He took his time admiring Jae’s naked frame as he stretched lazily and tried to pick up the pieces of clothes they had left behind the night before. Tall and slim, clear smooth skin. Not muscular but defined in the right places.

“You have a cute butt”, he said before he could stop himself.

Jae laughed. “Well, thank you Detective. You are very observant”. He picked up his jeans next to the bedroom door. “Can I use your shower? Can’t go to work like this…”

“Their loss”, Brian smiled. “Go ahead. I can lend you something clean”

“Thanks”, Jae disappeared inside the bathroom.

Brian heard water running and idly thought of how much he wanted to be there with him, feeling the spray hit his back, kiss him against the cold tiles and run his hand through his body. He blinked… he doesn’t have to imagine anymore. He could just get up and do it.

Resolute, he struts to the bathroom, pulling the curtains and slightly startling Jae. Brian frames his face with both hands and kisses him, backing him to the wall. A thought crosses his mind. He smiles wickedly when they part for air. Without saying anything he drops to his knees and engulfs Jae’s cock in his wet, hot mouth. He holds Jae’s hips in a strong grip, halting any movement the blond man wanted to make. Brian reveled in the fact that he was probably physically stronger than Jae, yet he was nothing but a mass of limbs, pliant under his touch last night and a few minutes ago. He wanted to make him feel good too.

"Jesus Christ!" Jae moans, giving into the pleasure. Brian moved his mouth so eagerly that he had him finished in no time.

 

***

 

Brian got to the precinct early and buried himself in paperwork. Autopsy results from Kaiser brought in by his partner lay in his desk. There was also a note from Wonpil, telling him that no one at The Rose would talk to him, but the owner said he could schedule to come to the station to talk to Brian as soon as possible. They really don’t trust outsiders and the fact that Woosung would trust Brian unsettled him a little. What was that supposed to mean?

“Light reading”, J.Y. Park strolled in leaving more files on Brian’s desk.

“Yeah”, Brian sighed. “Toxicology came back that Kaiser had been roofied”.

“Yep, read that. Bet you the same happened to Martin Cheng”.

“What do we know about him?”

“Absolutely nothing kid”, Detective Park sat down at his desk. “I’ll get right on that”.

Brian went back to the forensics reports. They told him plenty of the how of George Kaiser's death, but didn't point much to the who. He had ingested the drug somehow, probably slipped into his drink as there were traces of alcohol. That didn’t say much, because he could have been drinking at a bar and some unknow subject made its move or he could have invited the person home. There didn’t seem to be any glasses missing from his house, but Brian couldn’t trust their interpretation of their inventory much.

He shot Jae an email asking him to send the reports on Cheng’s case as soon as he got them. He debated whether he should invite him for lunch, but that was probably better done over the phone. Or maybe not, his partner was right there. His hand hovered over the handset on his desk phone when it rang, their Sergeant Kwon’s extension flashing on the caller ID.

“Kang”, he answered immediately.

“Detective, come to my office”, he said, “bring your partner”.

“Park, Sergeant is summoning us”, Brian gathered his stuff and walked towards the corner office.

Brian knocked on his door and stuck his head in. Kwon waved him in, and it was only when he entered his office that Brian saw the other chair was occupied. A pretty woman, deceptively young, was perched on the edge of the seat and turned to look at both men as they filtered in, her brown eyes bright, her ash-brown hair pulled tight into a ponytail, long bangs almost covering her eyes.

“Kang, this is Jeongyeon Yoo. She will be the one replacing Park at the end of the week”. Right, the month was almost over. His partner was retiring and he would get a new one. Apparently, Detective Yoo was that one person. She reached out a hand, her long, slender fingers cool and strong as she gave Brian a firm handshake. With a professional nod to Detective Park, she returned her attention to their Sergeant.

“Detective Kang here has been assigned a particularly brutal homicide case. We're, of course, keeping as far away from the media as possible. The sensational nature of the crime would make it an instant buffet of horror. They will show you the files and put you up to date. Detective Park will see that the transfer goes smoothly. I’ll leave you to it”.

It was clearly a dismissal, so all three of them scrambled to leave the office and quietly walked back to Brian and J.Y.’s desks. Jeongyeon carried herself stiffly, but even though her clothes were nondescript and a little bland, one too many pairs of male eyes have been directed to her while they walked together.

“I guess we’ll share a desk for a few days”, Detective Park sighed, “I assume administration has set you up with all your logins and passwords, but if there's anything you're not able to access, let me know and I can either pull it for you or talk to someone about getting your access bumped to the front of the line”.

She stared at both of them, impassively, then nodded. “May I look at the files now?”

Brian pulled her a chair and put the files in front of her. “Here they are”. He showed her all photos of the first crime scene and she took her time getting her bearings from them. After a few moments, she laid the photos around George's playroom in approximation of where the evidence had been found. All three of them spent quite some time discussing motives, hunches, details from witness statements. Jeongyeon had the same ideas he had, with less knowledge of BDSM lifestyle than he had now. He tried to explain the best he could of the things Jae had explained him.

“This person doesn’t seem to be immersed in the…hum…life”, she said after a few hours of perusing the photos they have received from the second crime scene.

“What do you mean?”, Detective Park scooched his chair closer.

“He seems disgusted by it. A profiler would do a much better assessment than I ever could, but he seems more than angry about his victims’ choices of lifestyle”.

“Well, well”, J.Y. Park seemed impressed, “welcome to the team, Detective Yoo”.

She raised an eyebrow. “Hum… thanks?”

“That is his dumbass way of saying this was a helpful insight”, Brian rolled his eyes at his soon to be former partner.

“I may be new here, Detective, but I have a few years of experience under my belt”, she coldly pointed out.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean anything by it”, Brian cleared his throat in discomfort. “Really”.

Brian’s words softened her a little. It was already hard enough for a female in an unfortunately male-dominated profession, he didn’t mean to make it any worse. Judging by the way it had been around the office while they were just walking back from Sergeant’s office made him think that she didn’t need any kind of smartass remarks from her partner.

He looked at his watch, it was almost one o’clock. “Well, lunch time. I’m gonna go down to the labs to talk to Jae about that DNA test on the flogger and then grab a bite”. He was totally gonna take Jae out for lunch. He hoped the blond man was free.

“Oh, great idea”, Jeongyeon got up, picking up her phone and wallet from her purse. _Damn it_.

“Hum… you.. coming with?”, Brian tried to keep the disappointment from his voice, but she noticed. And so did Detective Park, who just raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, Detective”, her voice was ice cold again. _Shit_. She would probably think he didn’t want her with him. Well, he didn’t, but for different reasons.

“Then let’s go”, it was much better not to say anything else.

“You kids get acquainted, I’ll be here with this mountain of paper and my sad sandwich”, Detective Park sat back at his desk and went back to work.

Brian led Jeongyeon to the elevators. The wait was silent and awkward. She had her arms crossed, biting her lips as she looked anywhere but at Brian. She didn’t seem angry, just maybe disappointed. He didn’t like that, but he was afraid of speaking again. The lab was buzzing with people this time around, the whole forensic team working to get every single piece of evidence from the body recovered yesterday.

Jae was over at one of the far corners, talking to the coroner. He smiled when he spotted Brian and the latter couldn’t help his heart from skipping a beat. Jae’s smile turned into a questioning look as he spotted Jeongyeon next to him. Brian looked at her to gauge her reaction, but she was looking at him smirking.

“What?”, he asked as he led her through the tables. She just shook her head. At least she wasn’t frowning at him anymore. They got closer as the coroner was finishing whatever conversation she was having with Jae. She nodded then left them.

“Good afternoon, Detective Kang”, his smile was back in its place.

“Jae Park, head CSI. This is Detective Yoo. She’ll be my new partner”. Jae and Jeongyeon shook hands. She was looking between them, a twinkle in her eyes.

“Welcome to the precinct, Detective”. Jae kept his 1000 watts smile going.

“Jae is new here too, maybe you two can trade info and first impressions later”. What the fuck was he saying now? Small talk isn’t his strong suit.

“Apparently Brian here believes I am all about the gossip”, Jae was completely amused by the way he was just shoving his foot into his mouth. Jeongyeon snorted.

“Hum… any news for us?”, he needed to go back to something he was good at: his job.

“Just some preliminary results. I can type them down and send them to you later, but there seem to be traces that indicate flunitrazepam ingestion in Cheng’s case, just like Kaiser. DNA in the flogger at Kaiser’s crime scene is definitely Cheng’s”.

“Then we do have a serial killer in our hands”. They will need that profiler now, for sure.

“Shit, I hate those”, Detective Yoo groaned. “I hate having to wait for other people to die to put the puzzle together”. Brian wholeheartedly agreed. They were less likely solving this case fast and with no other victims now.

“We can still try our best”, Jae was as defeated as they were.

“Have you had lunch?” Brian shot. “We are going to grab a bite”, he gestured between him and his new partner. She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking once again.

“Sorry, someone brought me a salad a while ago”, Jae shrugged apologetically, and Brian tried to keep his disappointment out of his face again. It certainly didn’t work with Jae, he didn’t even dare looking at Jeongyeon.

“Mind if I go around taking some notes?”, she asked. “I wasn’t there to examine the crime scenes, and this is better than pictures to commit to memory”

“Not at all, Detective. Go do your job”. When she was out of earshot, Jae gently and subtly pulled Brian closer and whispered. “I’m free for dinner. I think I know what kind of dessert you like”.

 _Bastard._ Brian was going to have a very long afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments. Keep them coming, I love reading them!
> 
>  
> 
> NOTE (December, 3rd, 2018)
> 
> Guys, I'll post the next chapter soon. I am really sorry it is taking so long. I got sick, and then there was work... not much time for writing. Just hang in there a little bit more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh... hi! here it is, finally!

“Officer Choi”, Brian greeted the young man once he stepped into the station.

“Detective Kang, good morning”, the young officer smiled. “I have a message for you here”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know answering phones was part of your job description”

“It isn’t”, Officer Choi laughed. “Wendy just had to go to the bathroom and I was the only one here”

“Thanks, man, have a nice day out there”, Brian took the note and headed for the elevator. “Stay safe”

“I will”, Choi waved at him while the doors where closing.

The bullpen was quiet early mornings, just a few officers finishing their shift and a handful coming in to start a new day. Brian did what he always did, he went straight for the coffee, got his mug filled with mildly acceptable black liquid and went back to his desk. Detective Park wasn’t coming in today. These were his last days on the force, so he was either visiting old pals at Central Office or dealing with loads of paperwork.

“Hey, Kang… heard your new partner is a babe”, slimy Rogers spat as he settled comfortably uninvited on Brian’s desk. This had been a reoccurrence the last few days, half of the precinct, single or otherwise, have come to Brian for information on his new partner.

“Fuck you, Rogers”, Brian didn’t even look away from his computer. “Go back to your desk”. At first, he tried lecturing the pigs, now he was just quickly dismissing them. He was a step away from flat out ignoring them.

“C’mon man. You can’t just keep it to yourself. Share the goods”, he was probably going to throw up. Brian was glad he got here before her.

Brian had managed not to screw up much after the first day. She even trusted him enough to ask for help looking for a place to rent. Not that she wouldn’t still narrow her eyes every time their conversation veered on personal like she was always expecting him to be exactly like the others around them. Brian wasn’t. He wanted to tell her how much he wasn’t, but having him state that wouldn’t convince her much. He came close to telling her about him and Jae more times than he cares to admit in such a short span of time.

Jae. That was something he was still trying to come to terms with. Jae had spent almost every night with him. They would see each other around the station and Brian had to fight every fiber of his body not to just hug him or kiss him or let Jae fuck him silly in the evidence room. It was a bit overwhelming how much of his day would be dedicated to thinking of Jae. He was half-way to obsessed with the dorky too-hot-to-handle nerd.

They haven’t talked much, fucked plenty. Brian was starting to get anxious. He isn’t the fuck-buddy kind of guy, but Jae was out of his realm of knowledge with all that BDSM background. Just like with the case, he was in over his head. Not that Jae had suggested anything or even mentioned nor hinted to any kind of Dom/sub relationship, not since that first night at the diner. Maybe that was what got him worried. He wanted to learn, he wanted to try. He wanted Jae to want him. He didn’t know how to say any of these, he wasn´t used to telling people how he really felt. He was dumbly waiting for the other to read his mind, which, yeah, was plain stupid.

“Fuck, man. Gimme something to work with”, right! Slimy Rogers. The guy was still comfortably sitting on the edge of his desk. “People have tried, but the girl is a wall of ice”

“You had your answer then”, Brian said nonchalantly. He hoped the guy would leave before Jeongyeon got there. Brian decided not to say anything else, maybe the jerk would take a hint and leave. He focused on the case files on his screen instead, muting all the gibberish the creep was throwing at him.

“Can I have my partner back?”, Jeongyeon’s voice sounded over the white noise. Brian looked up to see a stony-faced thoroughly unimpressed woman staring the other detective down. He held back a smile when the other just squirmed away under her cold gaze.

“Sorry about him”, he offered.

“You have to stop apologizing for others”, she sat at her own desk, taking her cellphone and a few other things from her purse.

“Yeah, bad habit”, he ducked his head. Striking out again. “It’s just…”

“It is just that you feel like they don’t treat me right and you don’t know how to change them”, he jerked his head up so fast it hurt. She was impassively staring at him. “You don’t have to protect me, Kang. I’m a big girl. I need you to have my back out in the field, not here”.

“I… I’m sorry”, he didn’t know what else to say. He wanted to add some kind of explanation, but she smiled at him. A real genuine smile.

“I like you Brian. I’m glad you are my partner”, he was not expecting her to say that.

“Hum… I’m glad I am too, Jeongyeon”, he was. Truly. She was smart as fuck and fierce. Great detective, excellent partner.

She nodded. “Good, now that that is out of the way, let’s move on to solving cases together”, she smirked.

That he could do. He shuffled through his papers looking for a note officer Choi had given him when he arrived. “Sooman Lee is back from wherever he had travelled to. He left me a message saying we could find him home today”.

“Sooman Lee, the craftsman?”

“Yeah, him. From all the people on our list, he seems to have been the last one to talk to Kaiser”

“Are we considering him a suspect?”

“Unlikely. I haven’t been idle while he was out of town”, Brian clicked a few files on his computer. “He was out of the country by the time of Cheng’s murder and he seems to have an alibi for Kaiser’s. Some kind of convention. There are witnesses”.

“Well, at least we can cross him out definitely”, she shuffled with pieces of paper of her own. “Anything on Cheng?”

“I got in contact with Woosung. He swears Cheng has never been to The Rose. Matthew Kim, the bouncer, seems to confirm that, so does Jiwoo, the waitress, as well as the bartender. None of the dungeon masters know him as well”.

“I ran a background check”, she said handing him a file. “He came to town eight weeks ago, looking for a job. He wasn’t lucky as far as we know. We know nothing of him before that”.

“That’s impossible!”, Brian frowned. “The guy was a ghost before coming here?”

“New ID?”, she pondered. “Running from something?”

“Damn it”, Brian ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. “He is probably key to understanding these murders”.

“I’ll sent his picture around and out of town”, she got up.

“I’ll ask Jae to run his DNA on the system”, Brian took a few files and got up too. He stopped midway when he noticed her staring. “What?”

“You can just shoot him an email, you know?”, she smirked. “You don’t have to go down to the lab”. He blinked a few times, trying to get what she was implying. She shook her head when he didn’t say anything. “Just go, Brian. I’ll meet you there”. Maybe he was indeed an open book, like Jae said.

He left for the elevators before she could say anything else or he said something he regretted. He made his way down, as increasingly familiar path. There were less people than usual roaming around the tables. Jae wasn’t in sight, so Brian made a bee line for his office.

Jae had his nose buried in some big book, his desk a mess of files and paper. His blond hair messy and glasses crooked, and oversized lab coat wrinkled. He looked dorky and frail. Brian knew better, but he couldn’t help but stop at the door to admire how freaking cute the guy looked concentrating on whatever he was reading. Brian cleaned his throat to get his attention.

“Have a minute?”, he asked when Jae looked up.

“Sure, close the door behind you”, he said adjusting his glasses. “Lock it. People keep coming in today”.

Brian turned to do as he was told. As soon as he heard the click on the lock, Jae pinned him to the wall, his mouth pressed hungrily to his, sending him spinning off-kilter. Brian kissed him back with fervor, a small growl escaping his throat. Jae’s hands gripped his waist, fingers massaging through the fabric of his shirt. When their mouths separated, Jae rested his forehead against Brian’s.

“I was thinking about you”, he whispered.

“This is less than professional”, Brian smiled running his hand through Jae’s hair.

“I don’t care”, Jae smiled back, holding Brian around the waist and bringing him closer.

“I actually came here to talk about the case”, Brian closed his eyes as Jae nosed his neck.

“You could have sent an email”, he said trailing kisses around Brian’s jaw.

“Yeah, I could have”, Brian breathed out shakily.

“Come home with me tonight”, Jae said against his skin.

“Your house?”, they have spent every night together at Brian’s place. He was suddenly unease.

“Hey”, Jae brought his hand up to caress his cheeks and lift his chin with his thumb. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing”. He was scared of what Jae expected from him. He didn’t want to disappoint. Jae just raised an eyebrow at him. “Tonight, your place”, he chanced a smile. Jae didn’t buy it, of course he didn’t.

“We will need to talk about this, whatever this is”, he sighed letting go of Brian.

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry”, Brian reached out for him. He didn’t want to let go. “We’ll talk”, he said encircling his waist and bringing him close. Jae hugged him and kissed his forehead. They stayed like that for a few beats, when there was a knock on the door. Jae kissed Brian one last time and side stepped him to open the door.

Jeongyeon was standing there, hand still raised. “Hum… hey Jae”

“Hello detective”, Jae smiled brightly. “Came to steal back your partner?”

“Yes, indeed”, she smiled back. She put her head in to look at Brian. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah, let’s do it”

“Ok, you drive”, she turned around and started walking back toward the elevators. “I just ran into Rogers and I think I will crash the car on purpose”. She threw her hand up and waved. “Bye Jae”

“Ok, so… please, run Cheng’s DNA to see if there is a match somewhere”, Brian rushed his words out as he started to leave.

Jae held him by the arm. “See you later, right?”, he practically whispered.

“Yeah, later”, Brian nodded. He resisted the urge to kiss Jae again and just turned and followed Jeongyeon.

 

***

 

Sooman Lee’s address was quite close to Kaiser’s house, Brian noted. It was the same neighborhood, some streets apart, but still closer than the club or where Cheng’s body had been found. It would have been a perfect set up if Brian and Jeongyeon haven’t already cleared his alibi. They parked the car across the street.

“So, how are we approaching this?”, Jeongyeon asked as she got out of the car.

“He isn’t a person of interest, but we still need some more information on Kaiser”

“So, I brought Cheng’s picture”, she took a piece of paper out of her pocket. “It may be a long shot, but Mr. lee travels a lot”.

“It is worth asking, let’s just leave it to the end, make him comfortable first”, Brian said as they approached the door. “You take the lead on this one”, he finished as he rang the bell. Jeongyeon nodded and smiled. She seemed pleased with Brian for some reason.

Sooman Lee answered the door after the first ring, wiping his hands in a dishtowel. Brian flashed his badge and they introduced themselves.

“May we come in?”, Jeongyeon asked, giving her sweetest smile.

“Sure, detectives. Please, be my guests”, he ushered them inside the well-lit and expensively furnished living room. “Have a seat”, he gestured towards the couch. Brian looked around to try and take the place in. It was pristine and didn’t look lived in, maybe a consequence of the owner’s constant travelling. There were a few family pictures around, more of a young man, handsome smile, that looked awfully like their host.

“Your son?”, Brian asked pointing to the closest one.

“Yes, that was my eldest”, Mr. Lee answered as he got himself comfortable on a big and tacky armchair that just didn’t match the rest of décor facing the detectives. The use of past tense didn’t escape them.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Lee”, Jeongyeon offered.

“Thank you, but it has been three years since Donghyuck died”, he sighed. Eldest. That mean he had at least one more. There didn’t seem to have any pictures that would indicate so, but it didn’t seem relevant to the case, so Brian just filed it and kept quiet.

“We didn’t mean to bring it up”, Jeongyeon continued. “And we are sorry for this, but we came to talk about George Kaiser”

“Yes”, he sighed again. “I heard what happened to George. Such a horrible thing”

“Yes sir, it was. When was the last time you talked to him?”

“I met him at The Rose”, he looked between both detectives. “You know about the club, right?”

“Yes, Mr. Lee”, Brian said. “We are familiar with all aspects of Mr. Kaiser’s life”

“So, you know what I do”

“We have an idea, yes”, Jeongyeon added.

He nodded. “George wanted something crafted. He called me that Monday morning asking for a meeting. We were both going to be at the club for different reasons, so we scheduled to meet there”.

“What did he want?”, Jeongyeon was taking notes.

“He asked for a St. Andrew’s Cross”, he saw the questioning look she gave him, so he continued. “It is a common piece of equipment in BDSM dungeons, detective. It typically provides restraining points for ankles, wrists, and waist”.

“George Kaiser currently didn’t have a sub, why would he order new equipment?”

“What do you mean? He said he was helping train this young man”, Brian and Jeongyeon briefly exchanged looks.

“Did he tell you that, Mr. Lee?”, Brian interjected for the first time.

“Yes, he did. That night at the club. We were talking at the semi-private rooms. He told me he needed new equipment as he was finishing his new playroom and he was training a young man he knew”.

“Did he say anything about this man?”, Jeongyeon asked.

“No, I’m sorry. That’s all we talked about, plus prices and time I needed to craft it”

“What was the time limit on the order he placed?”, Brian interjected again.

“It usually takes me two or three weeks, depending on how busy I am”

“Are these orders common?”, Jeongyeon added

“Not around The Rose, no. I made one or two before for patrons there, but it was a while ago”

“Are you in the life, Mr. Lee?”, she asked.

“No. Not in the sense… I’m not active”, Sooman Lee seemed troubled with the new line of questioning.

“How did you become the trusted craftsman? These circles aren’t open to outsiders”, she prodded.

“My son. He was in the life, he knew I needed work. He recommended me to a few people. That’s how I started”, Mr. Lee was answering their questions, but it became clear that they were threading difficult terrain as he tensed marginally. He was referring to his deceased son, probably.

“Thank you, Mr. Lee”, Jeongyeon must have sensed the same as she started getting up. Brian followed her lead and he could see the tension leaving the other man’s body. “Oh, before we go, do you recognize this man?”, she showed him Cheng’s picture, like it was an afterthought.

It was a very subtle change, but because of the last few minutes Brian could see it clearly. Sooman Lee’s shoulders tensed again as he laid eyes on the picture. “Is he involved?”

“Do you know him, Mr. Lee?”, Jeongyeon insisted. She knew better than give people free information on the investigation.

“No”, he blinked a few times and bit his lips. Brian knew he was lying.

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Lee”, Jeongyeon kept walking towards the front door. “Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any other pertinent information”.

“I will, detective”, his demeanor had changed drastically. They were clearly not welcome at his home anymore. He saw them to the door. “I hope you find the person behind this”, he said before closing the door in a rush.

Brian and Jeongyeon hurried to the car. The weather was showing signs of change as there were dark clouds covering the sky. They both got in and Brian pulled out onto the road. Jeongyeon kept quiet for a few moments as she possibly mulled over things in her head.

“Ok”, Brian broke the silence. “He still isn’t a suspect, but we have to admit that his behavior the last few minutes we were there was somewhat suspicious”.

“He lied about Cheng”, she muttered under her breath.

“Yes, he did. Nice play, by the way”

She shrugged. “Seemed the right way to go about it as soon as I felt he was closing up”

“He closed off only when the conversation veered to his son. One of his sons”.

“Something must have happened. Can we check his son’s death?”

“Do you think it has anything to do with our case?”

“Maybe. It is just a hunch. And he clearly doesn’t have a good relationship with the youngest. It may be connected”, she sighed. “Or maybe I am reading too much into it”

“Well, there are things we can do to put your mind at ease. And we have to go around trying to figure out if Mr. Lee was lying to us or Kaiser actually had someone and didn’t tell anybody”.

“Thanks, partner”, she smirked at him.

“For what?”

“You goddamn listen. It is a nice change”, she looked out of her window, effectively hiding her face from him. She kept quiet after that, so he didn’t ask anything further. They had a full day’s work ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have a ton of papers to grade, so next one will be out in a week or more, I think. Soon I'll have my vacation (thank Goooood) and then I'll have more time to write. Thank you all for waiting!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!! lol
> 
> So, I needed to write this... I wanted to sit down for a few hours and write a fluffy, cheesy hot mess of a chapter. And I just had the feeling you all would agree it was necessary.
> 
> This is my official "sorry I made y'all wait two weeks, I will try my best not to do that again" kind of chapter.

The night air was cooler than usual. There were few cars along the streets and fewer people on the sidewalks. The impeccably kept gardens were dark and gloomy without any sunlight. His cellphone showed it was already eight o’clock. He had been going around in circles for the past forty-five minutes, trying to muster courage to go knocking on Jae’s door.

“C’mon Brian, man up”, he muttered as he turned the corner to Jae’s street for the hundredth time.

It was a quiet street, mostly lit by the lights coming from every two windows, apart from the few sophisticated lampposts spread along the polished pavement. Brian parked his car on Jae’s driveway and walked unhurriedly towards his front porch. He found himself debating whether to ring the bell or knock, which seemed just one other ruse to buy time, when Jae abruptly opened the door.

“Hum… hey”, he dumbly stated. Jae didn’t say anything, just stepped aside to let him in. “I’m…I’m sorry I’m late”, he stuttered.

“You’ve been driving in circles for quite some time”, Jae closed the door behind him. He faced Brian head-on. His face was serious, but his eyes were gentle. Still, Brian’s underlying uneasiness spiraled.

“I… you saw that, huh?”, he couldn’t look him in the eyes. He disappointed Jae. He had never been this uncontrollable ball of nerves, what the hell is happening to him?

“Yeah, I did. And it probably wasn’t your first lap”, he sighed reaching for Brian. He wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. “Thank you for coming”, he kissed Brian’s forehead.

“I’m sorry”, he hugged Jae back, burying his nose on his neck and desperately gripping the back of his shirt, like he could bring them closer that way. They just stood there for a moment or two, Jae rubbing soothing circles on his back and placing soft kisses to his hair.

“Are you hungry?”, he asked taking Brian’s hands in his.

“Not really. I had a sandwich not long ago”, he finally looked at Jae. “You?”

“No”, he smiled. “You were taking your sweet time to decide what you’re going to do. I ate while I waited”.

“God, I am so sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with me”, he leaned his head on Jae’s shoulder. “I’m a mess”, he groaned.

“Ok, let’s take this to the living room”, Jae guided him down the hall, “sitting on my Italian leather couch is much cozier”.

“Italian leather?”, Brian snorted. “You’re such a snob”.

“Yeah, yeah… you’re saying that now”, Jae laughed. “Ok, take a seat I’ll get us something to drink. Beer, wine, iced tea?”

“Water?”

“Sure, be right back”, he paddled through a door which Brian imagined was the kitchen.

He took some time to look around. The whole room screamed Jae. Modern tasteful furniture, elegant and practical. A nice family picture adorned one of the side tables. An older couple, Jae and another man. He mentioned a brother a few days ago. _Damn it! I know nothing about him_. He had never been scared of relationships, but this time, maybe, it seemed a little bit more real, he was going after what he wanted. _No, it is being handed to me_. It was such a bizarre experience. He had brushed over the fact he had had a mild panic attack a few days ago. Their first night together. Everything was new to Brian, including every reaction he had. Brian wished there were pillows for him to hug, instead he just took his jacket and made it into a ball on his lap. Jae came back with a tray with glasses and a jar of water. He set it at the coffee table in front of them and sat next to Brian. He looked him head to toe while he filled both glasses.

“What are you afraid of?”, he asked as he handed Brian one of the glasses.

“What?”, Brian blinked, confused. “Afraid?”

“You’re hiding”, he pointed to the ball of fabric Brian was holding onto.

Brian took the glass and stared at his lap. “I’m not… I just… this is comfortable”

“Because it makes you feel safe”, Jae’s voice was soft, but sure. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No!”, Brian said vehemently. “You… I… you make me feel better”. He was definitely a mess, and less coherent by the hour.

“Tell me, Brian”, Jae moved closer pulling Brian by the waist as he placed their empty glasses back at the tray. He took Brian’s jacket from his grip and left it on the cushion behind him. Brian leaned on his shoulder again, cozy and relaxed.

“I don’t know what you want me to say”.

“Ok, you don’t have to say anything now”, Jae lowered his voice and caressed Brian sides. “You can ask questions, if you want to”.

“Ok”, Brian sighed. “Is that your family in the picture?” He felt Jae’s smile.

“Yeah. My mother and my father. And that ugly duckling is my bratty brother, Sungjin”

“Is he younger?”

“By a year”, Jae laughed. “He thinks he is older, though. He is the smart one”.

Brian looked at Jae. “You’re joking right?”. Jae raised an eyebrow. “You are a fucking genius!”, he said as he laid his head back.

“Thanks”, Jae chuckled. “He is in the force too, profiler”

“You mentioned that before”, Brian snuggled closer. “You also said you would recommend him to the Sergeant”

“I did, the next day”, Jae pinched him. “Kwon is expecting him this week. I thought he would have told you or Jeongyeon”.

“I’m sure the memo is going to get at my desk together with your brother”, Brian grunted. They fell silent. Jae started running his hand through Brian’s hair. Brian held him closer, closing his eyes. “Do they know?”, he practically whispered the question. Jae shifted, probably trying to look at him, but he kept his eyes closed.

“My family knows about my sexual preferences, yes”, he resumed his movements.

“Everything?”, he hated that his voiced sounded so small.

“I don’t give my parents details, and my brother knows a lot more than them, but yes”, Jae lifted Brian’s chin, making him open his eyes. “Is this what is troubling you? Are you scared of what people will think?”

“No…”, Brian sighed. “I just don’t want to disappoint you anymore than I already did”. There, he said it.

“You think we want different things…”, Jae framed Brian’s face gently.

“I know I want… what you… I know I want to try things with you. I just don’t know if I can do it”, Brian rushed the words out. Jae was looking right through Brian. Intense probing eyes searching his soul. Jae let go of him and stood up. Brian stomach sank. Did he say something wrong?

“Do you trust me?”, Jae asked extending his hand. Brian took it, getting to his feet.

“Yes”, he said with more confidence than he felt this entire evening.

Jae led him out of the living room and back to the hallway. They went past what seemed to be Jae’s bedroom to a spiral staircase leading up to a loft. When Brian first caught a glimpse of the room, it took a moment to register what he was seeing. Wooden beams held sturdy eye hooks every few feet. Along the back wall, where the slope of the roof forced the ceiling angle down sharply, there was a padded bench. It looked like a weight bench without the weights and with support bars raised three feet at the corners. There was one big curtained window at the apex of the ceiling. It was an inviting space, except for the strange furniture. At the far end was a closed door. This was it. Jae’s playroom.

“I want to try something”, Jae pulled him to the middle of the room and wound his arms around Brian’s waist. “Let me show you what you can do”.

Brian didn’t speak, he just nodded. Jae took his lips in a kiss so perfect Brian’s knees went weak. Gentle without being tentative, reassuring without being demanding. Jae untied his tie and slid it from his collar, pulling back for not but a few seconds. Still, Brian whimpered at the loss, chasing the kiss.

Jae tangled his fingers on Brian’s hair to hold him in place. He kissed him again, same tenderness and confidence. Brian fell into it, letting Jae in to take what he wanted. His lips travelled down to Brian’s jaw and he shivered, baring his neck to Jae for more. Brian closed his eyes trying to shut out everything but his touch. Jae unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it down his shoulders. He ran his palms along Brian’s torso, trailing kisses on his neck.

“That’s it, let me have what I want”. Jae murmured. He held Brian’s waist again, keeping him at a distance. He didn’t lean in again, didn’t nuzzle his neck nor kissed him. He looked at Brian, open and honest. “Will you let me?”

“Do it”, Brian croaked. His whole body shivered in anticipation.

“If you need to stop, you say _thunder_. If you need to slow down, you say _rain_. Ok?”, Brian nodded. “Use your words, Brian”

“Okay”, he whispered. “ _Thunder_ to stop, _rain_ to slow down”.

“If you do say _thunder_ , I'll stop immediately, but you'll have to give me some time to get you free. Keep this in mind”.

 _Free? Oh God, it is happening._ Brian’s stomach churned, he was getting anxious again. He couldn’t look Jae in the eye, his hands fidgeting at his sides. It had not started yet, and he was already a mess. How could he do anything for Jae if he couldn’t go past instructions? Maybe he wasn’t cut for it after all. He can’t let go, he doesn’t know how.

“Look at me”, he snapped to attention when Jae spoke again. His tone broke no arguments. “Don’t overthink it”, he caressed Brian’s cheeks who just leaned into the touch. “Breathe, Brian”, he commanded gently.

Brian exhaled slowly, muscles relaxing under Jae’s touch one more time. _It’s Jae, I trust him. I want him_ , he told himself. It wasn’t a lie, it was the most absolute truth about himself. He had been thinking about this for days, since that night at the club. This is what he wants, he needs. He felt himself give in a little to that thought.

“Take off your clothes and stand with your hands clasped behind your back”, Jae’s tone was firm. He expected obedience, but he wasn’t barking orders. He was magnetic and intense. Brian automatically complied, eyes straight ahead while he heard Jae behind him, rummaging in one of the trunks he saw lined up near the wall. Then there was a hint of something heavy being pushed across carpet, but Brian didn't turn to see.

Jae came back and stepped in front of him, holding a red silky-looking rope. “I’m going to tie you”, he explained, “I won’t gag you nor blindfold you at any time, and if you use your safe word I will immediately stop and let you free”, Brian’s eyes shifted from the rope to Jae’s face. He was naked and vulnerable, at his mercy. He felt his insides whirling, but it was a different kind of feeling. “Do you understand it?”

Brian was starting to nod when he remembered Jae’s command to use his words. “Yes, sir”, the words significance wasn’t lost on Brian. He heard the subs at The Rose referring to their Doms as _sir_ or _master_ , he knew what it entailed. He was a willing participant, ready to give himself wholly. Jae kissed the tip of his nose, thumbs grazing his cheekbones. He smiled, seemingly satisfied with Brian’s response. Brian sighed as the last of the tension left his body. Jae kissed him full on the lips once more, tongue coaxing Brian’s surrender to the sensation.

“Lie down on the bench, on your back”, he commanded when they pulled apart.

Brian turned to see Jae had dragged the bench to the middle of the room. With movements that seemed natural and true, he covered the few steps and did as he was told. The bench was narrower than his shoulder, so his arms dangled to the sides, putting him in an uncomfortable position. Jae changed this when he took his wrists and tied them to the posts behind Brian’s head. He was splayed and naked, feet on the floor and thighs spread slightly to keep his balance. The rope wasn’t scratchy as Brian had expected. It was pulled tight, but not enough to hurt him.

“If your hands go numb, you let me know”, Jae said leaning over Brian’s torso to keep tying the rope around him. He was still fully clothed, and Brian couldn’t decide if that turned him on or made him unease. He wrapped the rope three times around Brian’s chest, grazing his nipples and making him shiver. Three more and his hips were bind to the bench as well. Brian shuddered with the friction of the rope; it felt like a firm caress to his skin. He was slowly losing his freedom of movement and it aroused him beyond anything he’d ever imagined. He felt blood pulsing down his cock.

Jae knelt somewhere around Brian’s feet. He couldn’t see what he was doing, but he heard a few noises like something had been detached from the bench. Jae proceeded to tie his ankles to these new sections, effectively spreading him open, feet apart. He was fully at Jae’s mercy. A calming sensation washed over him together with a rush of pleasure that changed his sigh of content into a drawn moan. His dick dribbled pre-cum on his stomach and he bit his lips to keep more sounds from coming out.

“Very nice”, Jae said, voice low as he walked around Brian, assessing his work. “How does it feel?”, he asked.

“Tight… but not painful”, speaking wasn’t without an effort and his words were nothing but a whisper. Brian blinked to shake the wooziness and saw Jae’s face close to his. He kissed Brian with more intent, lighting his body on fire, thumbs circling the already hard nipples. He couldn’t move, couldn’t touch Jae. He had to lay there and take it, give up control and let Jae guide him through pleasure. He softly moaned against Jae’s lips, that mix of peace and desire coursing through his body again.

“That’s it, baby. This is what I want”, he kept rubbing the hard nubs while he spoke. Brian let his eyes close. It felt so good, so perfect. “I want you to realize you can’t do anything. I’m in control, and all you need is to surrender and trust me”

“Yours, sir”, Brian slurred in response. Jae kissed him fiercely at that, taking his breath away.

Jae pulled away, finally stripping off his clothes. Brian watched him through hazed eyes, drinking in his lean and toned body. He was hard and that made Brian moan helplessly thinking how much he was enjoying this, taking Brian this way. Jae moved out of Brian’s sight and he tried to follow him, but the ropes wouldn’t let him. The red threads brushed over his skin making him gasp. Every single part of his body was sensitive, every sensation heightened.

“I have you where I want you," Jae said, coming back into view. “I can do with you what I will. You trust me not to harm you. I take that trust to heart”. Brian was captivated by his voice, hungry for more. “You may speak if you wish, but you may do nothing else without my permission, including cum”. Jae bent down and licked Brian’s chest, making him groan and squirm. He felt like he had to spread himself more, invite him in. He couldn’t. It wasn’t his choice, he wasn’t in control anymore. “I'll take what I want. You'll give me what I need. In return, I'll take on your burdens, set you free”.

Brian felt lightheaded. He wanted exactly what Jae had described. He wanted to surrender completely, he wanted to please Jae. His worries, insecurities and anxieties left him. He wasn’t his, he was Jae’s. He barely registered when Jae took his cock in his hand and started loosely stroking it. At some point he must have gotten lube because the slide was smooth.

Jae shifted again, readjusting the bench so Brian’s feet were farther apart. He sat on the cushion between Brian’s legs and that hid him partially from Brian’s view. He couldn’t see what was going to happen, couldn’t anticipate it. It was all part of the scene. He felt Jae’s deliberately slow movements, stimulating him higher and higher but not allowing him to peak. White pleasure, like lightning coursing through his veins, lit Brian’s body from inside out as one slick finger caressed his asshole for a moment before sliding in. Brian’s cock twitched and dribbled a little more. His breath sped up, heart racing. It felt like cuming, but he was still hard.

“That was beautiful, baby”, Jae said reverently.

“Sir…”, Brian wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask. Maybe what had happened?

“Shhh, you’re so good Brian. You’re doing so well”, Jae had added another finger and was scissoring him. Brian finally registered the stretch, a wanton moan escaping him. “How do you feel?”

“Oh… so good… humm…sir”, Brian slurred and whimpered as a third finger was added.

Jae found his prostate and wickedly massaged it, Brian’s moans turned into practically howls of pleasure. “That good, huh?”, Jae’s mischievous chuckle reached Brian’s fuzzy brain. His body began to shiver again when he noticed that he was straining to hold back.

“Sir… please”, Brian begged, for what, he didn’t know. Jae slowed his ministrations once more, bringing him off the edge. Brian babbled incoherently, whispered _please_ and _more_ of something he couldn’t quite grasp. Jae kept his rhythm, composed and sure of himself. He delighted in Brian’s neediness, toying with him, with his body.

“Mine”, he said quietly. “I can rub you, suck you, fuck you, and you'll let me, for as long as I want, because your only job is to give me what I desire. Your world is mine to create”, he leaned in and kissed the tip of Brian’s cock. “I can take you to the brink”, he whispered as his fingers pushed in and mercilessly prodded his prostate again. Brian’s body was on fire, the heat pooling on his stomach almost unbearable. “I can hold you there”, for a slip second Brian thought he wouldn’t last. He was ready to beg him to stop when he felt resistance to climax blossoming once the thought of disappointing Jae creeped in. He wouldn’t do that, he couldn’t.

Brian’s chest swelled with deep relaxed breaths. He was aware of every touch, but they felt far way. He was floating, distantly aware that Jae hadn’t stopped. He had just surrendered. Brian closed his eyes, letting go of the final tendrils of his control. He gave it to Jae willingly, head lulling to the side. He let go of his body, forgoing his consciousness, his will, his everything. He melted under Jae’s hands. He could feel pleasure hitting him in soft waves, building slowly, but steady, no matter what Jae was doing.

Jae reached behind him and started undoing the ropes, as if he had sensed the shift. He pulled it from his feet, then torso and finally the arms. He kissed both of Brian’s hands as he pulled him to his feet. He kissed him hard before spinning him around to face the bench.

“Kneel”, he instructed and guided Brian’s body down as he obeyed in a fluid peaceful movement. Jae sank to the floor with him, their bodies working in tandem. Brian’s arms were lax at his sides as he waited for Jae to tell him what to do, floaty feeling lingering and weighting on him. Jae pushed him until his arms rested on the bench, ass pointed toward him. He coaxed his knees apart as far as they could comfortably go. Brian heard the sound of a condom wrapper and then felt the blunt head of Jae’s cock at his entrance. He closed his eyes and sighed as Jae slowly pushed all the way in.

“Yees…”, Brian purred, reveling in the sensation of being full. Jae wrapped his arms around his torso, pulling him upright, his chest to Brian’s back. The position made him sink even deeper and he groaned low in his throat, thick cloud of arousal surrounding them. Jae pumped his hips intently, his arm over Brian’s shoulder and down across his chest, his fingers tweaking his nipple.

“Stoke yourself for me, baby”, his command was low and throaty in Brian’s ear.

Brian obeyed, slowly shifting his hand from his side to touch his leaking cock. He went slow, keeping his strokes in time with Jae’s thrusts, pleasure building up in that deliciously intense way again. He felt it in his back, his stomach, his chest, his legs. Every inch of his body tingling with every wave that hit him. It built intensity and travelled though him and out of him. His head hang lower in his chest, his deep breaths coming out as long drawn moans. Jae guided him to rest his head back on his shoulder, and he did it because Jae wanted him to.

"That's it," Jae panted as he rested his hand back on Brian’s forearm to ride the movements of his strokes, his cock stabbing into him with deep, leisurely thrusts. “Just like I said. You’re mine”. He kissed Brian’s forehead, licking the sweat beading there.

“Yours”, Brian gasped as his fingers tightened on his shaft, the friction sending sparks of heat deep into his gut. The build was so intense that he knew when it finally burst, he would be ripped apart.

“You’ve done beautifully, Brian”, he increased his speed, slamming home at every pass. The change of pace moved Brian forward into the bench again. Jae’s grip changed, closing over Brian’s hand on his cock and moving faster, fingers entwined. “You made me very happy, baby. Giving yourself to me”, he said, breathing harder.

Brian moaned as he slammed into him, that simmering slow built skyrocketing in intensity, making him lose his bearings. His supporting arm gave out and his chest hit the padding of the bench. He let the sensation take over him, vision blurring, mind spiraling. Jae was relentless, finding his prostate and hitting it over and over. He pulled Brian back into him.

“Cum, Brian. Cum now”. It was like Brian’s body had been waiting to be commanded. He felt it from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. He was suspended for a moment, all of air scaping his lungs. Then he came crashing back into Jae’s body, himself going limp and pliant. He shot two, three pulses of spunk in an arc over the carpeting. Jae’s hand in his kept moving and milking him as he slowly lost himself and his consciousness, blissfully aware that he was safe and wanted. Jae was his.

 

***

 

There were whispers around him. He felt drowsy and slow, like his body was too heavy for him to carry. However, for some reason, that didn’t frighten him. It made him feel good, giddy even. He was safe, he knew that. It wasn’t like sleeping, it was different. He could see movement, he knew he had his eyes opened even though they were blurred. He knew he got up with some help and walked a short distance. Someone was guiding him. Jae. His legs were rubbery and he knew that without Jae’s support he would probably not have been able to move at all. He was made to sit on a cool hard surface. He shivered when it touched his skin.

“Hey, baby”, Jae’s soft voice was almost a distant whisper. “I need you to drink this”, he put what seemed like a bottle closer to Brian’s lips. Water. He drank the whole bottle then was offered another. He dutifully drank the somewhat sweet liquid that was being offered. Jae kissed his cheek and shifted beside him. Brian leaned into him, wanting to be hugged. Jae circled his waist and brought him to his lap, his warmth inviting and cozy, making Brian sigh in delight.

“Kiss me”, he pleaded. His voice came out raspy, hoarse. Jae lifted his chin and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. Brian wanted more, he whined and chased it when Jae pulled back.

“Shhh… I just need you to come back, ok?”, he caressed Brian’s face, running his hand through his hair.

“Feels good…”, he said nuzzling Jae’s neck, trailing kisses up his jaw.

“It does, baby”, Jae chuckled. “But we both need a bath, don’t you think? I can’t just put you on the water, I need you to be with me”

Brian looked down on himself and Jae. They were both completely naked. Right. He looked up with what he knew to be a dopey smile, he didn’t care. The bliss still lingered. “I could take a bath”.

“Good”, Jae put him back down on the cool something. Brian looked around him, focusing a little bit more. They were in a bathroom. A big, classy, dark-tiled bathroom. The door was ajar and he could see the loft. _Oh, that’s where we are_. He was sitting at the edge of an oversized oval tub. Jae ran the water while still holding to Brian’s waist.

“I’m not gonna fall if you let go”, Brian frowned at him.

“But what if I don’t want to let you go?”, Jae smiled at him. He felt his skin tingling with satisfaction at that simple statement.

“Jae…”, Brian was still frowning. “I think I’m drunk”.

Jae bit his lips like he was trying to stop a smile. “Come in, we’ll talk”. He stepped into the tub and situated himself, then held his arms out for Brian. “Come on. Sit with your back to me. I want to hold you”.

Brian scooted, chuckling when the lube proved too slick to give his ass any traction. Jae had to wrap his legs around his hips to keep him from skidding toward the drain. The water was hot and relaxing. He leaned back on Jae’s chest, feeling his breath at his ear.

“You’re safe. You can say anything to me and I will listen”

“I…”, Brian hesitated. “I don’t know what to say”

“How are you feeling?”, Jae’s hands roamed Brian’s chest without intent, rubbing lazy patterns

“I’m good”, Brian smiled. “But I feel a little strange”.

“Strange how?”, he lifted Brian’s hand out of the water, tangling their fingers.

“I feel like my body has some kind of muscle memory moving my limbs and I'm just along for the ride”, Brian sighed and closed his eyes. “My head was all fuzzy and I couldn’t see straight, kinda like when I’m drunk”.

“Hum… do you know what subspace is?”, Jae held him closer, kissing his temple when he turned his head in.

“You mentioned it, but… no”

“This is something subs experience and, crudely speaking, is brought on by an influx of adrenaline and endorphins”, he nuzzled Brian’s neck. “It is different for each person, therefore difficult to explain”.

“It seems too complicated”, Brian adjusted himself, so that he was laying on his side, head on Jae’s chest.

“You felt it, you know what it is”

“I still feel it”, Brian whispered.

“It is normal for it to linger”, Jae brushed the hair out of his eyes. “How deep did you go?”

“I… pretty deep, I guess”, Brian was starting to feel their last hour together taking its toll. His muscles were relaxed, but he felt tired. It was difficult to keep his eyes open.

“How did you feel when I tied you up?”, Jae asked, arms squeezing around Brian’s waist briefly.

“At first I was anxious”, Brian yawned. “But I knew you wouldn’t hurt me”.

“That's why I had you lie down. Normally, I would have restrained you upright and given you a good spanking, but that might have sent you over the edge”.

Brian barked out a laugh at his frank tone in talking about whipping him so easily. He squirmed uncomfortably. “I think you're right. I'd have gone batshit”.

“Plus, you haven't had any pain training, so it would have only hurt you”, Jae added. “I just wanted to show you that you could have what you wanted”.

“Yeah”, Brian turned to face Jae. “You did”. He kissed him passionately, savoring his taste in this weird afterglow. He lost momentum as fast as he started. He was truly exhausted.

“C’mon, let’s wash up and go to bed”, Jae said when they pulled out. He got up and helped Brian out of the tub. He sat him down on the edge again, while he drained the water. Brian observed him sleepily.

They showered together and didn’t even bother putting any clothes on. Jae helped Brian down the loft and into his bedroom. The spacious room, just like the rest of the house so far, was exactly what Brian had expected. Elegant, practical. The big doubled bed called him in. He laid himself down without letting go of Jae’s hand until he laid next to him. He hugged his waist and looked him in the eye. That pair of dark beads were gently staring back.

“Thank you”, Brian whispered. “If there is anyone that can make me embrace this side of myself, it is you”. He put their foreheads together. “Pain training sounds daunting”, he deadpanned.

“It is definitely something for later”, Jae smiled. “Go to sleep, Brian”.

That one last command, Brian smiled at his own willingness to comply. He felt his consciousness slipping away from him once more in the safety of Jae’s arms, lulled by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few notes.  
> I read the book again on Sunday... I had forgotten about this scene (well, not this one exactly... the one this is based on), but it reminded me of my first reaction: "damn, those are great safe words". So... i kept them, together with a few passages taken from the book. If any of you ever read it, you can play spot the difference (they aren't really hidden...lol). Also, I am proud of the fact that I am actually recreating the story and writing my own :)  
> Until next time, peeps...


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I struggled with the flow of this chapter. I didn't know where to make the cut... so I didn't. I hope it reads well.
> 
>  
> 
> Warning: suicide mentions

Brian was slowly brought out of his slumber by the distant ring of his alarm. He rolled to his side to reach for it on the nightstand only to find that his nightstand was different. Nor was his cellphone where it usually sat. He looked around, bleary eyes trying to take in his unfamiliar surroundings. _Jae’s bedroom. I’m at Jae’s house_. He looked at the sleeping man beside him. He was always taken aback at how innocent Jae looked when he was sleeping. How gentle he could be when they talked or spent time together at the station but be commanding and intense when they were in bed together. Or in his playroom. Memories of the previous night washed over him, making his heart race. That was it, they have probably reached the point of no return.

He was Jae’s submissive now, wasn’t he? He really needed to learn what that entailed. Mind blowing orgasm followed by blissful numbness was one thing. A very good thing indeed. But what else? He laid his head back on the pillow, facing Jae’s delicate sleeping face. He reached to move the blond strands from it, lightly touching the soft skin. He is so perfect, beautiful. He traced the perfect lines of his nose and touched plush lips. He couldn’t ignore the fluttering in his stomach. He was done for. He was falling in love with a man he knew nothing about. Or maybe he did, he wasn’t sure.

Brian stared at the ceiling running his hands on his face. He needed to get a grip and do things properly, talk to Jae and explain how he felt, the things he wanted. He tangled his fingers behind his head and sighed. “Ok, Brian. Stop this shit. You can act like a fucking adult, now”, he said a bit louder than he had intended.

“Hummm… I love your voice in the morning”, Jae’s sleepy whisper startled him. He turned to see the blond man stretching and trying to blink the sleepiness away. “So deep and sexy”. He rolled over and reached out to pull Brian closer, kissing his chest and resting his chin on crossed hands. “Good morning”, he smiled.

“Morning”, Brian couldn’t help but smile back at the adorable man. His hair was a complete mess, his eyes seemed smaller and puffier. He was perfect.

“I’ll make us some breakfast and you can tell me what got you trying to give yourself a pep talk this early in the day”.

“Ok…”, Brian nodded. He just laid there and watched as Jae kissed the tip of his nose, got up and paddled to the bathroom. He faintly heard his cellphone going off again. Reluctantly he got up, looking for it. He followed the faint sound up the loft and found it in the pocket of his folded slacks. He turned the alarm off and took the neat pile down to Jae’s room.

“I quite enjoy having you completely naked walking around my house”, Jae was coming out of the bathroom, still wet from the shower. Brian looked down at himself and then at Jae. He had a wicked smirk on.

“Will you make that into… hum… a thing?”, he asked, hesitantly.

Jae barked a laugh, stepping closer. “First you shower, then breakfast. Then we talk”. Jae kissed his forehead and handed him a towel.

Brian walked into the bathroom and was met with black marble standing in stark relief against the white walls. _Yep, Jae._ He smiled at himself in the mirror. He brushed his teeth and stepped into the shower and drew the curtain. He stood there under the hot water thinking of the things he needed to talk to Jae. He decided then and there not to hold anything back. Hasn’t Jae taught him that? He had to be one hundred per cent honest with what he wanted. After last night, he had a pretty good idea, even if he lacked knowledge. And there were things he needed to ask the man first.

He found Jae in the kitchen, squeezing a few oranges, a nice display of mixed western and eastern food on the counter. Brian perched on one of the stools. “I’m not sure we can eat all of this”.

“Yes, we can”, Jae smiled handing him a glass of juice and a coffee mug. He settled on a stool across from where Brian was. “C’mon, eat up”, he gestured to the bowls in front of them.

Half-way through his second rice bowl, apparently he was hungrier than he expected, Brian breathed in the courage to speak his mind. “So, last night…”, he exhaled.

“What about it?”, Jae asked, eyes searching his.

“It felt really good to… hum… be like that with you. For you”, he stared back at his bowl.

“I quite enjoyed it myself”, his tone was light. Brian peeked up and he could see the warm smile on his face.

“What does it mean, for us?”, he asked looking Jae in the eyes. The blond man cocked his head in question. “What am I to you?”, he didn’t know how else to word it. Jae sighed, understanding what he meant. He took Brian’s hand in his.

“We can discuss exactly how things will go from now on, but I think that we are… well, I want you to see me as your partner”, he hesitated a little. “I really like you, Brian… I… maybe more than that. I think about you the whole damn time. I want to be with you”.

“So, you’re my boyfriend then?”, Brian’s heart fluttered at the shy smile Jae gave him. He nodded, squeezing Brian’s hand.

“If you want to… I really want for you to see me…like that”

Brian brought Jae’s hand to his lips, kissing the tip of his fingers. “I want the same”, he put Jae’s hand on his cheek. “But I also want to know what I am stepping into”

Jae nodded. “Yes, of course”, he caressed Brian’s cheekbones. “Just… Brian, I want to be with you even if you don’t…”

“I do, I really do”, he interrupted him. “I will just need a lot of clarification before I dive into it”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you”, Jae smiled.

“Why haven’t you been active in the scene?”, Brian jumped right in. He had filed Woosung’s words and reactions for later and this seemed like an appropriate time. He may have hit a nerve, as Jae suddenly withdrew his hand and stared at him, shoulders tense. Brian thought he wouldn’t answer, but Jae deflated after a few seconds, resting his elbows on the counter and holding his head in defeat.

“Something bad happened a couple years back”, he said, voice low. Brian waited for him to elaborate. “I met this young man, Ben, at the club Woosung and I used to frequent”, Jae sat back and started playing with his chopsticks. “We played for a few nights there, at the semi-private rooms. After a few weeks I asked him out on a date, I wanted to know him better as we had certainly clicked at the club”. He got up and started cleaning, like he was looking for something to distract himself with. Brian didn’t dare move. “When I finally felt like I could take him home, I called Woosung and told him what I was going to do. He was my safety net”, he looked at Brian then, making sure he understood.

“Yeah, I remember what you said about that”, Brian nodded.

“Something was different at home, he suddenly wasn’t satisfied with what we were doing. He wanted it rougher, he wanted me to hurt him. He wanted to be punished”, Jae ran his hands through his hair. “That wasn’t how things worked. I don’t do this for the sake of inflicting pain, Brian. This isn’t me”. Brian nodded, trying to reassure the desperate man in front of him. “After that first night I tried to talk to him, but every time I mentioned his past or suggested he talked to a professional about that, he would storm off. I halted any activities we had, I couldn’t keep the relationship if he couldn’t look for help”.

“You did nothing wrong, baby”, Brian got up wanting to hug Jae. The blond man stepped away from him, shaking his head. He still had more to say.

“After a few weeks I got a call from the hospital, my number was on his insurance as the next of kin. He didn’t have anybody else”, he sighed, eyes teary. “He went out and found himself a rotten apple. The guy did a number on him. He was beaten pretty badly, one eye shut and swollen. The doctors said he would lose his sight. It was horrible”, he paused. His breath was shaky. Brian’s stomach churned.

“It wasn’t your fault”, he whispered. He desperately wanted to comfort him, but Jae kept his distance.

“I took care of him for a month. Nursed him back to health. He agreed to see a psychologist”, he looked at Brian, voice wavering. “He killed himself the day after he left the hospital”.

“Jae”, Brian held his stare. “I know the words seem empty, but it wasn’t your fault. You did what you could”. Jae nodded weakly. He finally let Brian step closer, wrapping himself around him and burring his nose on Brian’s neck. He was shaking. He probably had never told anyone what happened.

“On a rational level, of course I know that”, Jae breathed out. “I just felt so shitty. I stopped going to the club, I slowly set myself apart from my friends in the circle. I stayed in contact with just Woosung and Jaehyeong because they made me…. They expertly forced me to be social. They also made me their partner when they moved here and started The Rose”, so that explained partially the nice house, it couldn’t be on police salary. Brian wanted to ask more questions about that, but this was clearly not the time. “As for everything else, I just didn’t feel like being a part of that anymore”.

“What made you change your mind?”, Brian caressed his back, drawing lazy patterns, trying to comfort him the way Jae had done to him so many times now.

“Honestly?”, Jae looked at him. “You”. They moved around the counter, Brian never letting go of Jae’s hand. “Not that I planed it. It just happened. It was so natural, I wanted it… you… so badly”, Jae brought their foreheads together.

Brian made Jae sit back on the stool and stood between his legs. He leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, hands holding his waist tenderly. “I want you to train me”.

Jae’s eyes widened a fraction and his pupils dilatated. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I am. Last night, I felt safe, wanted… I was free. I have never felt that… that much with someone before”, he kisses Jae again. “We still need to talk more about what this relationship entails, but I know I want it”, Jae’s hands found his waist too and pulled him closer.

“We have time”, Jae closed his eyes and sighed. “We will set limits, we will talk about it”.

“Then, you have me”, Brian said. “All of me…sir”, he practically whispered.

Jae looked at him, eyes roaming his face. The air around them was suddenly charged, their breathing a little more elaborate than before. He practically jumped out of his seat to take Brian’s mouth in a hungry kiss. He pushed Brian against the counter, hands roaming his chest his back. Brian was starting to get dizzy as they forgot they had to breathe for a few moments. Jae’s hands found Brian’s ass and pulled him closer, making them both moan.

“God, the things you do to me”, he whispered on Brian’s ear.

The sound of two distinct rings echoed around them. They pulled apart, panting, as the shrill sounds were insistent. If they were both being called at the same time, it couldn’t be good news. With a final soft peck on Brian’s lips, Jae left the kitchen to look for his phone. Brian did the same. The caller ID showed it was Jeongyeon.

“Detective Kang”, he answered bracing himself.

“We got a call, Brian”, her voice was somber. “Our perp hit again”.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the station, got here earlier”, she answered

“I’ll pick you up in ten minutes”, he then remembered where he was. Jae’s house was further than his from the station. “Make it twenty, I’m at Jae’s”, he said before he could stop himself.

She was quiet for a second. “I can get a ride with Detective Kim, if you want”.

“No, I’ll pick you up”, he said pinching the bridge of his nose. He got off the phone and made a bee line for Jae’s bedroom, where he had put his stuff. Jae was already half dressed.

“Here, wear this. I don’t think you have time to go to your place before you get to the station”, he handed Brian clean underwear and a white dress shirt. “I’ll take the subway”, he said while lacing his shoes.

“What? No! You’re coming with me”, Brian buttoned down his shirt. He could see from the corner of his eyes that Jae had stopped.

“Brian…”, he trailed off.

“Cat is out of the bag, baby”, Brian kissed his cheek and left the bedroom to look for his car keys.

They got in the car and headed for the police station. They were quiet the whole way, but Brian didn’t miss the way Jae smiled whenever he would look his way. It was official now… people would eventually know and, even though he was not about to go around screaming to the seven winds that they were together, he would not try to hide it.

“Just so we’re clear”, Brian smirked, “no PDA’s at the station… that would be totally unprofessional”

Jae laughed. “Unless doors are locked beforehand”

“Oh yeah, then I don’t fucking care”, Brian smiled at him.

They got there and Jeongyeon was waiting for them outside. Jae jumped to the backseat to let her sit next to her partner, even though she protested. Brian drove off to the address she gave him. He chanced a glance at her when they stopped at a traffic light. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and was staring at him.

“What?”, he looked back at the road ahead.

“Well… is it now going to be an open kind of thing or should I never ever mention it?”

“Now?”, he frowned.

“Day one, partner”, she laughed. “You are an open book”.

Brian sighed heavily. He looked at Jae in the rearview mirror. He was biting his lips, suppressing a smile. “Fuck you two, I am not that easy to read”, he sulked like a small child.

Jae barked a laugh. “Yes, you are, but that means you trust us”, he said fondly.

“That’s sweet, Detective”, Jeongyeon winked at him. She was enjoying this too much.

The tone turned somber as they neared the victim’s street. It was hard to keep things lighthearted when they reminded themselves where they were and why they had been sent there. Brian braced himself for what he was going to encounter.

The crime scene was near the first victim’s neighborhood, the scenery and the houses built in quite similar ways. Brian parked across from the place surrounded by police tape. There were a few people gathering in front of the house, curious neighbors. They made their way through the small crowd, Jae bee lining for the M.E.’s car to get a kit. Brian and Jeongyeon went straight for the front porch, where a familiar face greeted them.

“Detectives, good morning”, officer Choi was standing guard near the edge of the perimeter set by the police tape.

“Officer Choi, first respondent again?”, Brian asked the young man.

“Yes, sir. I patrol this whole area”, he nodded. “Unfortunately”, he added gravely.

Brian clapped his back. “I can’t say it gets easier, you just learn to sort things out”.

“I’ll get there, sir”, officer Choi nodded.

They entered the house in silence, both looking around and filing every detail they could. There were a few things different this time around. The well-designed living room wasn’t as pristine as the first one. There seemed to be a few signs of struggle. An overturned side table and shattered glass near the couch. There were two technicians photographing evidence around them. Wonpil and his partner weren’t waiting for them there, probably somewhere else interviewing witnesses.

Jae came in wearing his gear and handed them gloves and other disposables. They proceeded to the back of the house, where the rest of the forensic team seemed to be. Jeongyeon went in first, taking a deep breath before crossing the threshold. She stopped a few paces in.

“Shit”, she muttered. Brian and Jae followed her in sidestepping her. None of them was ready for the scene unfolded in front of them. Blood painted one of the walls in the now familiar phrase, but there was blood on the floor like a body had been dragged. Jae’s assistants were already uncovering the lump wrapped in plastic on the corner of the room. Brian stepped next to the body on the center.

“It’s Sheldon Kinney”, he said, eyes fixed at the all too familiar implement in the playroom. Kinney’s body was roped in the same way Cheng and Kaiser were, but he wasn’t attached to a four-post bed but to a bench. It was the same as the one Jae used with Brian the night before. He felt dizzy at the realization and almost lost balance. Jeongyeon put a hand on his back.

“Careful where you step”, she said searching his face, worried frown marring her own. He nodded, steadying himself. Eyes roaming the victim’s body he could see burning marks of various shapes and sizes and several slashes across the torso. There was a lot of blood and it hadn’t all dried yet. The smell of urine hit him as soon as he got closer.

“Fuck, this is worse than the other two”, he looked at Jeongyeon who had circled the bench, bending down to observe the ropes of the victim’s wrist.

“It isn’t all”, Jae called from where he had crouched on the other side. He lifted the plastic as the two detectives got closer. “Jonah Masters, his partner”.

“Two victims”, Jeongyeon sounded half angry half desperate. “It all seems different”

“It is escalating”, an unknown voice sounded behind them. They all turned to see a dark-haired man, shorter than Brian, standing on the doorsill. “And this one seems more personal”, the man continued looking around the room. His eyes found Jae on the corner and he smiled faintly.

“And you are?”, Jeongyeon asked, eyebrow raised. Brian figured out before the man confirmed it.

“Sungjin Park, criminal profiler”, he extended his hand. _Jae’s brother_. “You must be Detective Yoo”, he shook her hand and walked towards Brian. “Detective Kang, I presume”.

“Thank you for coming”, Brian shook his hand. “Have you seen the files?”

“Yes, I have”, he started looking around the scene, careful not to touch anything. “Detective Yoo is right. This is definitely different and this is significant”.

“There are signs of struggle in the living room”, Brian said pensively. “He may have tried to drug Mr. Kinney but somehow couldn’t?”

“Jonah was collared”, Jae supplied as he examined the bodies. “This is a completely different scenario as the previous ones. Sheldon Kinney wasn’t looking for a sub”.

“Collared?”, Brian asked as he moved to stand next to Jae.

“Yeah, it's a semi-public ceremony where a Dom collars their sub, announcing to everyone else in the community that the sub is owned”, he didn’t look up as he explained.

“How do you know Mr. Masters was collared?”, Jeongyeon mimicked Brian’s position.

“He is wearing a collar with Kinney’s name and a date engraved. This not unlike a wedding band”, he used one of his tools to lift the plastic a little more and show the others in the room what he had found.

“Looking back, it seemed they had been living together”, Brian flipped through his notes as he spoke. “The perp risked a lot targeting Kinney”

“Maybe he intended for both since the beginning”, Jeongyeon pondered.

“The sub wasn’t his intended victim”, Sungjin intervened. “He was either ashamed or regretful of killing him”, he looked around. “His body was wrapped and hidden while the Dom was exposed”.

“There seem to be no signs of torture on him, also”, Jae added. “One straight blow to the head. He either stepped into the scene unexpectedly or was the first to go”.

“How about Kinney?”, Jeongyeon walked across the room. “Can you ascertain what was the murder weapon?”

“He was stabbed repeatedly, like Kaiser”, Jae shifted from one body to the other. “Rectal bleeding, burning marks and multiple slashes across the body”.

“Do we know what was missing from Kaiser’s room?”, Jeongyeon asked Brian, making her way to the dressers on the far end of the playroom.

“No. All receipts we found had been accounted for”, Brian followed her. “If he bought something that wasn’t in his ledger, then there is no way for us to know”. They carefully searched the drawers.

“There are bloodied gadgets all over this place”, Jae said getting up. “Bag everything, I mean everything, you find and take it to the lab”, he told one of the technicians with them.

“This person really hates the lifestyle. It would seem that it was just Dominants, but he shows disdain to everything that is involved in the BDSM world”, Sungjin said as he inspected the objects scattered on the floor. “Personal history”.

“Kaiser and Kinney were best friends. They were both stabbed. Cheng was choked, but his blood was found on the flogger in Kaiser’s crime scene”, Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “They are connected, but what does that mean?”

“You should look into Mr. Kinney’s past and see if there is any connection with Cheng. This right here”, Sungjin gestured around them, “there is a lot more to this than the other two. Sheldon Kinney may be the center, or part of it”.

“Let’s head back, Brian”, Jeongyeon removed her gloves and walked towards the door. “Let’s hope our search hasn’t come out empty and we have some lead on who Cheng really is”.

Four bodies. They now had four bodies on their hands. Brian couldn’t stop himself from feeling like he had failed those victims. They had to catch a break somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I am totally bullshitting my way around the profiling thing. Lol
> 
> I tried to make the transitions natural, but I still wasn't satisfied. Still, I don't think I'll edit it later... I'll let it be and be zen about it.
> 
> Just one thing... my story/background hooks are completely visible to me, but I know that sometimes they be a bit obscure to others. As I don't like repeating things too much, the links are a few chapters apart... sorry for that, but I can't seem to be able to change this habit.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!!!!! This is a short one to tell you folks I'm alive and working hard on this fic.

 

“I fucking hate this”, Brian swore at his screen. “We seem to be running around in circles”.

He had read Jae’s preliminary report over and over again. It confirms that the murders are linked as they found something called “vampire glove” with Kaiser’s blood on it. Once more it was going to be quite impossible to determine what was missing from the crime scene. Jeongyeon carefully analyzed George Kaiser’s ledger to see if Detective Park had missed anything, but she couldn’t find any mentions to the glove.

“People don’t keep receipts for everything they buy”, she had chanced. “We have more than enough evidence with the DNA”.

Brian agreed with her, he knew that they had their link, but it still bothered him for some reason. Jonah Masters had been killed with a sharp blow to the base of his skull, but the weapon hadn’t been found in and around the house. Brian kept mulling over Sungjin and Jae’s words. He wasn’t supposed to be killed. None of the victims were, but this one stung. He felt the weight of the investigation taking its toll. He was tired of waking up to new bodies, of not being able to get any further into the killer’s identity, of running around chasing leads about the first victim and coming up empty-handed.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up. Sungjin had come behind him and was looking at the files on his screen. “Has Jae found anything new?”, he asked seemingly focused on whatever he was reading, but Brian felt the hand squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. It was odd yet comforting.

“Nothing we didn’t already know”, he answered, clicking off a few of the crime scene pictures.

“It can be frustrating to think you have three bodies in your hands, but no leads to who killed them”, Sungjin was now looking at him. “But we do, Detective. The answer is in here and we are going to find it”. He was starting to think that his forehead telegraphed all of his thoughts to people around him.

“Do you think we can do it before anybody else dies?”, Jeongyeon asked, not looking up from her notes. “To be honest, this case is…”, she sighed and sagged a little in her chair.

“Messing with our heads?”, Brian completed her thoughts tentatively. She nodded when their eyes met. She looked as tired and as helpless as he felt.

Sungjin pulled a chair closer to their desks and sat down. “I can’t promise it won’t happen again, but we have the means to set the profile and from that on things will start making sense”. He held Jeongyeon’s stare and she smiled at him after a few beats.

“What is this now? Group therapy?”, Brian huffed.

“Sorry, I…”, Sungjin laughed and ran his hands through his short hair nervously.

“Nah, it’s ok Doc”, Brian got up and patted his back. “We’re glad you’re here. We need your expertise”

“In more ways than one”, Jeongyeon went back to staring at her notes, completely ignoring Brian’s raised eyebrows.

“Well, I need coffee”, he said circling the two. “Anyone want some?”

“I’ll help you get them”, Sungjin got up after him when not only Jeongyeon, but both Wonpil and his partner, who had just arrived, answered positively.

They walked to the common area, avoiding most officers that were still around the precinct. Brian wasn’t up for idle conversation. The coffee machine was empty, so Brian just started searching the cabinets of the small dinning area for what he needed. Sungjin started washing the coffee pot, quietly helping Brian.

“How long have you been a profiler?”, he tried making conversation while they waited for the machine to do its job.

“Eight years”, Sungjin answered, leaning his hips on the counter. “Why?”

“Just curiosity”, he shrugged. “People say good things about you”.

“By people you mean my brother”, Sungjin laughs taking a glass of water for himself. Brian scratches the back of his neck and nods. “Well, good to know his name calling and heavy teasing is out of love and respect”.

“Shit. He’ll punish me severely if he knows you found out through me”. Sungjin chokes on his water and Brian blinks at him as he coughs profusely. It takes him a moment to realize what he said.

“Sorry”, Sungjin breathes again. “I didn’t mean to…”

“So…hum…”, Brian doesn’t know what to say. Does Sungjin know about them? He turns to the cupboards to grab a few mugs, an awkward silence between them.

“I’m really sorry”, Sungjin recomposes himself, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles on his shirt. Brian nods and tries to hide the blush he is pretty sure he is sporting, judging by how hot his face feels. They fall into silence again until the coffee is ready.

“Sugar?”, Sungjin asks.

“Third door to the left”, Brian answers lining the mugs and filling them with the black liquid.

“So, about my brother”, Sungjin starts as soon as he is next to Brian again. He hands Sungjin his mug without looking up. “What is he to you?”

That sounded a lot like a “what are your intentions with him” kind of thing. He looked up at Sungjin. “He is my boyfriend”, no beating around the bush.

Sungjin raised an eyebrow. “Good to know things have evolved since the last time I talked to him”.

“What is that supposed to mean?”, Brian held his gaze, trying to keep his voice even. Sungjin shook his head after a few seconds.

“Sorry”, he said as he added sugar to his coffee. “I don’t mean to be a jerk, it’s just that…”, he sighed.

Brian put down the mugs he had been filling and leaned on the counter, arms crossed. “Look, I get he is your brother and all, but we are both adults. I don’t think he would appreciate this”.

“Well he knows I am bitchy and nosy”, he said sipping his coffee, “it’s nothing new to him”.

“This is all new to me”, Brian huffed.

“You’ll get used to it”, Sungjin shrugged, hiding behind his mug. It was Brian’s turn to raise his eyebrow. “He hasn’t dated anyone in a couple of years”, Sungjin said, voice low.

“Not since Ben?”, Brian asked.

“He told you about him?”, he was surprised. Brian nodded. “Damn…”, he sipped his coffee again.

“Can we go back now?”, Brian picked up the others’ coffee.

“Sure, let me help”, he took two of the mugs from his hand. They started walking back to where the others were. “Hum, Brian…”, Sungjin stopped him before they left the kitchen.

“Yeah?”, he was seriously starting to get annoyed.

“I’m not the jerk I sound to be, I swear”, Sungjin smiled awkwardly.

Brian stared at him for a few beats, then laughed. “Well, time will tell”, he shrugged.

They went back to his desk and handed out the coffee. All five of them staring helplessly at the board Jeongyeon has started setting up with crime scene pictures and all information they could gather on the victims. It had been Sungjin’s request, to help them see the case better and build the profile.

“Every lead we tried to follow so far has been a dead end”, Wonpil leaned on Brian’s desk, nursing his mug.

“That’s not true”, Sungjin stepped closer to the board. “We know the cases are related and it is more than just the M.O. There is some personal history behind these acts of violence, motive. It is escalating, which makes us believe that the last one is of central importance. The haste in which Mr. Masters was killed and disposed, combined with how his body had been covered shows us that his wasn’t a premeditated death, so we are looking for a connection prior to Masters and Kinney’s relationship. All three crime scenes have recurring elements: the blood-painted words, scattered sexual toys and at least one piece of BDSM equipment with blood from the previous victim. The killer not only is showing us their disdain for the lifestyle, but also making a statement”.

“What kind of statement?”, Jeongyeon tried to follow the profiler’s connections.

“That he is stronger. He is the alpha, not the Doms”, Sungjin studied a few of the photos. “And he wants us to know that there is a connection”

“What do you mean?”, Wonpil got closer.

“He isn’t simply forgetting these bloodied objects there, Detective. He is placing them among the rest of the toys to show us that these deaths are related”.

“He wants us to know who he is?”, Brian frowned. Sungjin shook his head.

“He wants us to know the motive behind them. He feels wronged somehow and is taking justice into his own hands and announcing it to both possible future victims and the police”.

“If we knew anything about the first victim…”, Jeongyeon trailed off.

“True that we should look into that, but…”, Sungjin scratched the back of his neck, “I’m going on a whim here… I don’t think Martin Cheng is our first victim”.

“He isn’t Martin Cheng either”, Jae’s voice echoed behind them. He was a little out of breath like he had run up the stairs, hair messy and glasses askew. “I was asked to run his DNA on our database. It took a few days, but we got a match”, he said recomposing himself. Five pair of eyes were fixed on him, expectantly. “Meet Lei Zheng, 42 years old, wanted for questioning on the murder of Kevin Wong, four months ago”, he put up three pictures on the board. One was a head shot of Zheng, the other two were from Wong. He was smiling to the camera, very much alive in hiking gear and a breathtaking background, in one of the pictures. The other was a gruesome crime scene photo. Brian couldn’t help but notice that Jae’s hands were shaking as he put up the last two pictures.

“There is a lot of blood there”, Wonpil grimaced. Wong’s body was on a pool of blood, deep marks along his torso. He had arms and legs tied up, but not like the crime scenes they’ve been studying before. Wonpil got closer. “Fuck me running”, he gasped audibly. Brian stepped behind Jae and looked over his shoulder.

“He was fucking eunuched”, he said through gritted teeth.

“Do you think there might be a connection?”, Jeongyeon turned to Sungjin. Brian could see the way the profiler’s eyes widened a little when he could see the pictures Jae had just put up. He also didn’t miss the look the two brothers exchanged.

“If there is”, Sungjin said slowly, “we may be dealing with a wronged submissive after all”. Jae nodded.

“What do you mean?”, Brian looked between them. “Jae, what’s going on?”, he stepped closer to the blond man, placing his hand on his back.

“It’s him, Brian”, Jae said without looking at him. “The bad apple”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving the plot forward a bit...heheh. Next one will be up soon, I guess.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaahh... life! You know... that thing that gets in the way of writting fanfics all the effing time... T_T
> 
> Well, here is the first half of what I've written this past month (almost two... sorry!). Hopefully, the second half will be up soon. I decided to post this so you guys have something to read while I struggle with words for the rest.

The activity around the bullpen dulled with every passing hour, each team going about their business. They have gotten the official green light for the special task force, Wonpil and his partner officially working the case with them and both Jae and Sungjin assigned to work on the murders exclusively. Five people were dead. The longer they took to find the culprit the more lives could be on the line. That didn’t bode well with any of them. It wasn’t something the precinct was used to deal with, serial killers were not a common occurrence. Brian certainly never had to deal with it, not on this scale.

“Who the fuck are you?”, he said through gritted teeth, staring at the board. He had spent the last hour looking at the pieces, trying to think of different links, but coming out empty. A coffee mug appeared under his nose and he took it without taking his eyes away from the last three pictures added to the puzzle.

“Stress and an ulcer”, Jeongyeon said settling next to him. “That’s all the reward we get from doing this job”. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, she was staring at the board, sipping her mug. Brian just grunted in response. “We’ll get him, I know it”.

“How? How do you know it?”, Brian sighed helplessly. He was all kinds of negative thinking at the moment.

“Well, many reasons”, she stared at her mug. “the fact that this is the first time in seven years that I am actually able to do my fucking job, for one”. Brian stared at her silently, waiting for her to elaborate. She just sighed and shook her head. “You and Jae should head out. I can wrap things up today. We all need some rest”.

“Jae and I?”

“What? Not going home with him tonight?”, Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow at him.

“You’re awfully nonchalant about this”, Brian put down his mug. If anyone else was privy to their relationship, they haven’t said a single word about it until now, but he knew she was completely aware of it. Yet, there had been no mentions of it for a few days.

“Why shouldn’t I be?”, she held his stare.

“I don’t know…”, he trailed off. She kept eye contact, drinking her coffee patiently. Brian felt uneasy, he didn’t really know what he was going for. “Maybe because… we all… we work this case together”

“Is this something that bothers you?”, she put down her mug without taking her eyes off him.

“I…”, he didn’t know what to say. Did it bother him? This case had been getting under his skin since the beginning and he feared that the more he got involved in the lifestyle the more it would get him. Maybe it was an unfounded fear, maybe it wasn’t, but it had certainly been on his mind the last few days. He should say this, but he remained silent.

Jeongyeon sighed audibly when he broke and stared at the floor. “Do you know how many partners I've been through?”, it was a rhetorical question, so he didn’t even try to guess. “Six. In the years I have been working Homicide I have had six different partners. You know why?”, Brian shook his head, speechless. “Because, God knows why, eventually, every goddamned one of them hit on me. And when I refused to fall for their wily, pig-snouted ways and thank my lucky fucking stars they wanted to sleep with me, they got pissy. I was blamed for deliberately sloppy police work, had barefaced lies told to my superiors to get me transferred, and the last one nearly cost me my fucking badge”, she started rattling words without pause. “And then I get here, not knowing what to expect and who to trust and I get assigned to you. You listen when I talk; you seem to give a shit about my opinion; and not once have I caught you checking out my ass”. She paused then, making Brian look back at her.

“I wouldn’t….”, he didn’t finish. She had a small smile playing on the corner of her lips.

“The day I got here I caught you making puppy eyes at Jae and I was amused and relieved at the same time. I didn’t know if you were pinning or if you guys were together, but it made me feel like for the first time maybe I wouldn’t have to be on the defensive. Then you went and shattered any kind of resolve or wall I could have tried to put up by being so ridiculously professional and fucking attentive”, she huffed a laugh. “I was in such a bad place and so caught of guard that if I wasn’t almost sure you were gay I would have fallen in love with you just for letting me actually do my job”.

“That wouldn’t…”, she cut him off again, by covering his mouth with her hand.

“That would have been unprofessional and bad for the case”, she continued. “That. Not this. I am you partner, not Jae. He works at the station and is working on this case, yes. But it isn’t the same thing. Neither of you had shown less than your best while working on this investigation, so I have absolutely no reason to be bothered by your relationship with him. What you do after work hours is none of my business, Brian. Unless you want it to be… as a friend”. She let him go then, smiling.

“I don’t deserve you”, he said, flabbergasted. Jeongyeon looked at him seriously, hands on her hips. She gnawed on her bottom lip for a few seconds and stepped closer. Brian was ready to be slapped, pinched or whatever variation of that could be. He was definitely not ready for the resounding kiss she planted on his cheek and the awkward side hug she gave him. It startled him, so much so that he almost lost his balance.

“God knows I needed a break. So yeah, we deserve each other, Brian. This is fucking right for once”, she looked up at him. She looked even younger when she smiled like that.

“You’re a damn good detective. You know that, right?”, he finally found his words.

“Yes, I know now”, she nodded. “This transfer was the best thing that happened to my career… and my mental health”. She sobered, fixing the wrinkles on her blouse. “I just wish this wasn’t our first case. Hell, I wish this case never existed in the first place”.

“That makes two of us…”, they both stared at the board for a few minutes, helpless feelings wrapping their tendrils around them again.

“You are a damn good detective too”, she gently elbowed him. “We have a great team. We will catch the culprit”. She didn’t have to say it, but he knew she was thinking the same thing. They had to catch whoever was doing this soon, before anybody else ended up dead.

They finished their coffee in companionable silence, each immersed in their own way on the clues and information presented before them. This past month had been a rollercoaster of emotions. Brian had reached rock bottom and climbed higher than he had before. The case made him face himself and at the same time messed with his head. He felt like he was being pulled in every direction at once. He was just glad he found support through all this.

“Have you found the time to look into Sooman Lee’s son?”, he asks her after a few beats.

“I have. He died in a car accident a couple of years ago. Nothing suspicious, apparently”, she sighed.

“I guess that’s good”, Brian shrugged.

“Maybe…”

“You don’t sound convinced”

“I’m not. But… it is just a feeling. I don’t wanna stop everything to pursue this. I trust my gut, but I could just be getting those vibes from Mr. Lee because he was a bad father… I don’t know”, they fell quiet again. Brian played with his mug a little.

“Once this is over and done, I’ll buy you a beer”, he said nudging her.

“Buy me a gallon”, she smirked. “When we get this pig, you’ll get me shitfaced and then take me home and get me tucked in. I will probably need you to sing me a lullaby”.

“Deal”, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fuck. See? We need to rest, our brains have melted”, she stretched and picked up their empty mugs. “Now, partner, do as I say and go fetch your boyfriend before I do something completely unprofessional… well, something else”, she giggled as she turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Brian stood there for a few beats trying to make sense of his situation. It was an odd feeling to realize that things in his life were falling in place amidst the mayhem. If he hadn’t been forced to learn about BDSM, if that wasn’t the circumstance he met Jae, things would probably be different. He would probably still be far back in the proverbial closet, lying to himself and denying the things he wanted.

He made his way to the lab, mulling things over in his head. He had put things off for too long. Jae had been patiently waiting, but it was past the time to set the limits of their relationship. He had been reading about contracts and what nots, courtesy of Woosung. He felt a little shitty for not asking Jae directly, but that’s how his messed up head worked. He tried, but he couldn’t. That was behind him now, hopefully.

The elevator doors opened to the rescinding chaos that the precinct lab was usually in. There were few technicians walking around the tables, wrapping up whatever they had been working on. Across the room, Jae’s door was shut, but he could see through the blinds that the lights were on. He walked past the display of evidence still being filed, nodding to the people he knew, without stopping to make conversation. Stopping right in front of the office’s door, he could hear whispered voices. Jae wasn’t alone. While he was debating whether he should or shouldn’t knock, the door suddenly opened, startling both Brian and whoever was on the other side.

“Shit, Detective Kang”, Woosung held a hand over his chest. “Don’t just stand around all silent like that”.

“I was going to knock”, Brian shrugged.

“Well, just go right in then. See if you can deal with his sour mood”, he clapped Brian’s shoulder and walked past him. “It was good seeing you”, he threw over his shoulder as he made his way to the exit.

Jae was sitting behind his desk, eyes glued to the screen of his laptop and a few neat piles of files and folders around him. He lifted his head for a fraction, adjusting his glasses, when he heard Brian enter the room and close the door.

“I’m not done with the report, you can come back later”, he said looking back at the screen, his floppy blond hair falling over his eyes.

“I’m not here for that”, Brian tried not to flinch at the somewhat cold tone Jae spoke to him.

“Is it urgent?”, he asked, still not looking at Brian. “I am kind of swamped here”.

Brian raised an eyebrow at him. Sour mood, indeed. “No, I actually came to pick you up and go home”.

“Can’t, gotta work”, Jae huffed.

“Was there any new development? Anything you haven’t told us yet?”, Brian locked the door and stood closer to Jae’s desk, arms folded. He wants to be this standoffish, Brian is the reigning king of that shit.

“Have I ever kept anything from the team?”, impatience laced Jae’s tone.

“I don’t know, have you?”, Jae’s head shot up. He looked half hurt, half angry. Brian was just glad he was now looking at him.

“I know how to do my job, Brian”, he sat straighter and mimicked Brian’s stance, folding his arms in front of him.

“What did you and Woosung talk about?”, something was getting to him, Brian knew it.

“Nothing”, Jae grunted, looking away.

“Did you talk about Kevin Wong?”, Jae stiffened slightly, but didn’t say anything. “Does Woosung know anything that could help us?”

Jae stared at him for a few beats, silently. He started turning off his laptop and arranging things around his desk. Brian observed him quietly. He was tense and most certainly crossed. Brian wasn’t a fool, he knew it was aimed towards him for asking questions Jae probably didn’t want to answer. However, Brian also knew that Jae was kidding himself if he thought he could just walk past Brian and leave without saying anything. He calmly placed himself between Jae and the door, effectively blocking him.

“What is going on, Jae?”, he asked trying to soften his voice as much as he could.

“If you want to interrogate me, detective, we have to find a time that is convenient to me as I know for a fact I am not a person of interest in this investigation”, he actively tried to go past Brian, but was easily stopped.

“Jae”, Brian held his arm hoping he wouldn’t flinch or pull away. “Talk to me”.

“And who would that be? The detective or my boyfriend?”

“They are not mutually exclusive”, Brian tentatively touched Jae’s face. “I am always going to do my job if the situation asks for it”. Jae took a step back, but Brian followed. “It’s a hard limit”, he smiled softly. “But this is not that kind of situation, baby”. He let go of Jae and stepped aside to unblock his path. “I just want you to talk to me. I’m not trying to pick a fight”.

Brian was half expecting Jae to just leave the room. He was bracing himself to follow him and maybe beg to have a second chance at trying to figure out what had Jae so upset and unsettled. Jae stared at the locked door, but didn’t move. They stood there without saying anything for what felt like a minute too long. Brian was almost giving up. Maybe Jae was waiting for him to leave. He thought about doing just that, but Jae suddenly buried his face on Brian’s neck, holding him closer.

“I’m sorry”, his voice muffled by Brian’s shirt collar. Brian sighed and hugged him back.

“You keep telling me to be open about the things I feel”, he said caressing Jae’s back. “I want you to do the same with me”. Jae nods, hugging him tighter. “Was it something Woosung said?” Jae meets his eyes and shakes his head. He looks nerdy and sweet with his glasses askew. Brian fixes them ignoring the butterflies in his stomach. It is a constant whenever they are close like this.

“I called him here because I had to ask him personally if he knew anything. I was afraid he wouldn’t be cooperative if he thought he had to protect… a secret”, he sighed and brought their foreheads together. “I should have talked to you, but I knew you and Jeongyeon had already interrogated him. It was foolish, but I have been feeling uneasy since…”, he took a shaky breath. “I thought that part of my life was over, but it keeps coming back”.

“Jae, those murders have nothing to do with you”, Brian kissed his forehead.

“That is too logical, Brian. I am not in the mood, right now”, Jae smiled faintly.

“Sorry, baby”, Brian kissed him again. “So, did Woosung…”

“No”, Jae sighed. “He was being earnest with you. And he was also quite offended when I suggested he could be lying and asked all sorts of questions about us, about you and what I had told you. Hence my…hum…mood”, Jae averted his eyes sheepishly.

“Let’s go home. We have a lot to talk about”, Brian unlocked the door and stepped into the lab.

“So…”, Jae turned the lights off and caught up with him. “Hard limits, huh?”

Brian scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I’ve been…reading”.

“Woosung told me”, Jae pressed the elevator call button and turned to face Brian. “I’m not gonna lie, that may have contributed to my mood”.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back”, Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Man, I gotta get better at this”. Jae gently took his hand away and kissed him. It was that perfect combination of sweet and dominant that had managed to make Brian’s brain short-circuited more than once.

“You’re perfect”, he breathed inches away from Brian’s flushed face.

“And you’re sappy”, he pushed Jae into the elevator when the doors opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really try to answer all of your comments, but sometimes people go on a commenting spree (I am looking at you bunny_wonho, you lovely being) and I don't know which one to write to...and I leave them on my inbox... and I keep reading them, and try to think of better answers than those "Thanks for your comment" generic kind of things and... yeah! I do read them... I love them... I am actively trying to answer them all!
> 
>  
> 
> Edit: I used the word "stare" too many times in this chapter


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey... just a month between updates! I am on a roll, baby! LOL (not)
> 
> Ok, seriously though... this is extra long because I am renovating my apartment (while still living in it, cause I am crazy) and that is literally what I am doing on my sparse free time. Aaaand it is a smuty one. Win win win!
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: discussion of kinks, contracts; spanking

The pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof were the only sounds around the house while they ate. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, it just seemed necessary as there was much to be discussed and decided. It was companionable and respectable, their eyes meeting every now and then across the kitchen counter, hands tangled on top of it. Brian smiled at that, he loved feeling Jae’s skin on his, anyway he could.

It should have surprised him that when he had told Jae earlier that they should go “home”, Jae’s house was the only place they both had in mind. Brian drove all the way there before realizing it, but he took it in stride, making himself comfortable as Jae went around the kitchen opening and closing cabinets until he gave up and ordered food.

“Penny for your thoughts”, Jae asked as he caressed Brian’s palm with his thumb.

“Ok, are we going to start the truth zone thing now?”

“Truth zone… thing?”, Jae smiled amused.

“You know, us… being completely honest, holding nothing back”, Brian shrugged.

“Yeah, let’s start the truth zone thing”, Jae chuckled.

“I love when you touch me”, he stared at Jae. “I love it so much that just this”, he slightly shook their tangled fingers, “makes me feel grounded and safe”, he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “That also scares me sometimes. Feeling this much, this fast”. Jae silently nodded, as an encouragement. “I know that I want you to train me. It isn’t just because of the mind-blowing orgasms you can give me, it is because I have never felt more free as when I put myself in your hands completely”, his voice wavered.

Jae squeezed his hand lightly. “You can tell me anything”.

“I know I want that, but I also want to _be_ with you. I am definitely not a submissive around the clock and I do need this thing”, he gestured between them, “to go both ways. I want _you_ to feel safe with me, to feel like you can… tell _me_ anything”. He stopped and looked at Jae, who adjusted his glasses and gently let go of Brian’s hand.

“I don’t want you to think that I wish for anything but exactly what you have just described”, he placed both hands on the counter, like he was trying to ground himself. “In the past I have been in this lifestyle through contracts or casual meetings at leather clubs. I thought I had started something different with Ben, but that…”, he trailed off and sighed. “You already know it wasn’t what I thought”, he smiled sadly. “I have been more open to you than anyone else I had been with, and I told you before that I would have you anyway I could. All you have given me so far has been more than enough”. He walked around the counter to stand closer to Brian. “I have never shared any other aspect of my life with a sub and you are all around me. The fact that I have told you about Ben, about my misgivings as a Dom, my fears… Some people in the lifestyle would say it would shake your confidence in my ability to be your Dom, and that it would show weakness I wouldn't be able to overcome. I was fooled into thinking like that for a few days”.

“I trust you”, Brian pulled Jae closer from where he was sitting, leaning his head on his chest. “I don’t know much about the lifestyle, but I know that you being earnest with me is not a weakness, it is exactly what I need to feel bounded to you. I know I can give myself over because of it”.

“That’s what Woosung told me earlier today. Something that being with Jaehyeong taught him”, Jae caressed Brian’s neck, combing his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry for being irritable then. I let my insecurities get the best of me”.

“If we are going to start apologizing for that, then you better get back to your seat because my list is a lot longer than yours”, Brian grinned looking up at Jae.

“Smartass”, Jae’s lips curved into a smirk. He got Brian up to his feet and kissed him. He brought their foreheads together, eyes closed. “I want to be with you, too. I’ll do anything…”

“And that…”, Brian cut him off, “brings us to phase two”. Brian walked around the counter, opening a few drawers.

“What are you doing?”, Jae asked, laughing.

“Don’t you have any paper around here?”, he answered after opening the last one and shuffling the contents inside.

“Wait for me in the living room, I’ll get some in my office”, Jae left the kitchen and disappeared into the hallway.

Brian anxiously walked over to the couch, nervous energy now flowing unbounded as he neared the novelty in this relationship. With things cleared between them and his feelings and fears out in the open, the only thing that was left was discussing their contract. Contract. That was some weird concept for a sexual relationship, but he figured it was a very important step as they weren’t exactly doing things the regular way. And the more he read about it, the more he wished he had always discussed intimate relationships this lengthily and openly with his ex. It would have saved them both a lot of heartache.

Jae returned carrying a stack of office paper and a pen. “What do you need it for?”

“We should write up our contract”, he said placing the paper on the coffee table. “I don’t know if you prefer it to be typed out, but we can do that later, yeah?”, he turned to look at Jae, who was still standing next to the couch, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“We are together. You’re my boyfriend”, he looked between Brian and the stack of paper in front of him. “We don’t have to write anything down”.

“We do need to discuss things, right? Preferences and limits? Or something like that…” he trailed off.

“I can remember the things you tell me without writing them down”, Jae crossed his arms, closing himself off. “I can refrain from hurting you without having to write it down”

“I didn’t mean it like that”, he felt his palms sweaty as he looked at Jae. How had he disappointed him this fast? “I just… I am very nervous about all of this and… maybe writing things…”, he looked down, inspecting his feet.

The couch dipped a little next to him and he felt Jae’s arm around his waist, pulling him closer. “I am an idiot. Of course we should do it”, he sighed. “I used to know how to deal with contracts and casual things”, he said burying his face on Brian’s hair. “I’m still learning how to deal with you”.

“Your mind reading powers are weaker now that we are together”, Brian chuckled in relief and then just laughed at the disgruntled look on Jae’s face.

“This right here”, Jae gestured between them like Brian had done earlier, “is quite new to me too, don’t judge me”. Jae kissed Brian softly.

“You’re doing a great job”, he kissed Jae back, “don’t worry”. Brian looked down at the coffee table and the small pile of paper. “So… How do we do this?”

“Do… hum… do you want me to print one of my drafts…”, Jae had never seemed uncomfortable with him before.

“No”, Brian shook his head. “This is different, right?”, he squeezed Jae’s hand.

“Yeah,”, Jae sighed. “I have never been this silly when making an arrangement for a scene”.

“Not a scene, a relationship”, Brian smiled. He was pretty sure most people weren’t that sappy. They were, though. Sue him. “How do we start?”

“Tell me about the things you have been reading. What are some things you want to try, things you are curious about”, Jae sat back adjusting his glasses, his demeanor changing. “I will tell you my needs and my preferences. I also need to know what triggers you”

“Hard limits?”, Brian sagged back, trying to get comfortable.

“Yes”, Jae smiled. “Your job is one, I know. We also established that emotional availability on my part has to be a given in this relationship”, he took the pen from Brian’s hand and started scribbling on a sheet of paper. He looked at Brian, smiling expectantly.

“No humiliation”, Jae nodded and wrote it down. “Edge play… I don’t really understand what that entails, but I didn’t really like that it involves knives… or fire. And no erotic asphyxiation. That doesn’t bode well with me”.

“It’s not my thing either. My kink is the emotional subtlety and behavioral nuance of earning someone's submission. Pain is a means to that, but only one of many”

“You mentioned pain training before”, Brian scratched the back of his neck.

“Yes”, Jae nodded. “I would have to start slow as you are not used to it yet”, he looked down at the paper. “Is there anything else you want to veto?”

“Those whatever-sounds thingies”, Brian scrunched his nose.

“Urethral sounds?”, Jae raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, those”, Brian shivered.

“Some people say it is really an interesting feeling”, Jae laughed at Brian’s face, which showed exactly what he thought of those people. “Ok then”, Jae smiled as he wrote down what Brian was saying. “Since we hope to be in this relationship for a very long time, we should leave everything else open for discussion, what do you think?”

“Yeah, I… I didn’t get much past the things I certainly don’t want to do”

“There will probably be more, nothing we write here is set in stone. People change, our relationship may develop”, Jae took a different piece of paper. “I have to set my limits too, even though we are pretty compatible so far”, he smiled brightly, quite pleased with himself. He sat straighter, looking into Brian’s eyes. “I decide when a scene starts and ends. I will not go outside the boundaries set, but when we are alone and in my house, you are mine”.

“Just your house?”, Brian didn’t mean for his voice to waver the way it did.

“We can add your place as part of my territory, but that is up to you”

Territory? _Shit!_ “Hum… I… as long as it is not at work or, you know, in front of anyone else”. Brian swallowed hard.

“Noted, even though I do like the idea of showing you off, like at The Rose. We can talk about this later”, he wrote a few things down. “I don’t want you to think that because of this every time we are alone together you have to do my binding. You are not my slave. You don’t have to be in the mood just because I signaled to start a scene. You have the power to say no. And you have the power to safeword if something we are doing isn’t good for you, you know that, right?”, that certainly ringed the right note for Brian. He wouldn’t expect anything else from Jae. “I also need exclusivity. I am pretty sure you agree with that, but since we are putting it all down on paper, I feel like I need to say it: I don’t share”. Brian nodded, that was nothing he wouldn’t say himself. “You don’t get to know what I have planned. I will only tell you what I am doing if I deem necessary. You will know what I want you to know”.

“Why is that?”

“Two reasons. One, telling you would give you time to formulate how you'll respond, and that's calculated. I want genuine reactions that come from your gut, not something you think I want to see. And two, it's the unknown that gets to us the most. I want you to trust I'm prepared enough for us both. The endorphin rush is greater when you feel you've walked a line, and you get closer to the edge if you're not exactly certain what's going to happen”, Brian nodded, heart beating faster than usual. “But I will only do things that I know are within your limits. Anything else I will run by you”, Jae took a deep breath. “Now, this is probably the most important part. I don’t break skin. I am not going to cause any permanent damage to your body and I will under no circumstance let you go through a scene for the need of punishment. No blood or scat. Hard limits”, he sighed looking down.

Brian knew that that was not something Jae thought he would do. It just needed to be said, under the circumstances of his previous…arrangement. He wanted to hug Jae, kiss the sadness out of his memories, but he wasn’t sure if he was allowed. Jae looked up when he started fidgeting with the cushions of the sofa.

“We have not started a scene yet, Brian”, Jae smiled faintly.

“Hum… yeah”, Brian stated dumbly, reaching for the blond man. Jae sat closer and let him hold him, burying his face on Brian’s neck. “Good to see your powers are back”, Jae’s low chuckle was muffled in his skin. “Anything else?”

“Not for my part. I like the idea of exploring things with you and letting us discover what works. The idea of you allowing me to explore your body and guide you through this gives me great pleasure”, he kissed the patch of skin above Brian’s shirt collar. “Thank you”.

“How…how will I know if a scene has started?”, Brian asked as Jae ravished his neck.

“I will usually tell you to take your clothes off and pose a certain way”, Jae’s hands found their way under Brian’s shirt. “But we can have an object or piece of clothing to signal my intentions if you want”, he bit the shell of Brian’s ear.

“I… I think I need that, yes”, he moaned the words out as Jae caressed his nipples. They stayed there, half sprawled on Jae’s couch, lazily kissing and exploring clothed bodies. Brian suppressed the urge to whimper when Jae finally sat back, taking his warm body away from him.

“Ok, here. Let’s make this official and sign it”, the blond man smiled as he scribbled his initials under the lists they have made. He handed Brian the pen and he did the same, giggling at how silly it all seemed now. “Come with me, I think I have something we can use”, he got up pulling Brian to his feet and made his way to his bedroom.

Brian sat on the edge of Jae’s bed as he shuffled through a few boxes in his closet. “Do you need help?”

“No, found it”, Jae emerged holding a piece of black leather in his hand.

“What is it?”, Brian reached for the stripe and Jae handed it to him.

“It is a collar”, Jae sat next to him. “It usually means a lot more that just a green signal for a scene to start, but it will do for now”.

“So, you will hand it to me when you want to… hum…play?”, it was simple and easy to put on and take off. It also seemed comfortable enough.

“Yes, and if you are ok with it, you put it on and we start from there”, Jae smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Should… should I do it now?”, Brian asked hoarsely.

“I would like that very much, Brian”. Jae’s smile was soft, but his eyes were hungry. “If you let me”.

Brian slowly eased his tie off and opened the first few buttons of his shirt. He closed the leather collar around his neck and waited. Jae’s hand brushed the edges of the dark material, caressing his skin. He quietly unbuttoned the rest of Brian’s shirt pushing it down his shoulders gently. Brian didn’t say anything, waiting to be commanded. His breath was calm and steady. He wanted this and he was ready.

“There are so many things I want to do with you”, Jae spoke as his hands travelled down Brian’s torso, tracing the lines of his pecks and brushing against his nipples. Brian shivered lightly at how good every touch felt. “But today we start your training”. Jae got up and pulled Brian with him, shirt forgotten on the floor. They took the spiral stairs up to the playroom and Jae put Brian in the middle of the now familiar space. “Strip”, he commanded and walked around Brian.

Brian fumbled with the button of his jeans and took it off together with his boxers. He folded them neatly and placed them on a chair on the corner of the room, as it was probably ill-advised to just let stuff they could trip over laying around. He went back to the center where Jae had put him before and waited. Now that he was naked he could clearly feel the leather around his neck. It was an interesting feeling, like he had an anchor, something tangible to give him focus. He touched it lightly, lowering his eyes as he waited.

“Pain training”, Jae’s voice sounded from behind him. “Today we begin it”, he came around Brian again. He gently moved Brian’s arms behind his back. “Clasp your hands and widen your feet a little”, he showed Brian what to do. “This is how you will present if I don’t give you any specific pose to hold. This is a relaxed stance, hands behind your back, right wrist clasped in your left hand, posture straight, eyes down”, he idly combed his fingers through Brian’s hair and it took a lot not to lean into it. “I believe I can tell the difference between defiance and intensity, so if you look me in the eyes with all that fire I see in you, you won't be punished. However, if I see disobedience, I will punish you”, he tugged at the dark strands a little. Brian didn’t move. “You can speak if you want to, but nothing else unless I tell you to”.

“Yes, sir”, Brian responded. His heart picked up the pace a little as Jae pulled him into a searing kiss.

“Chin up, eyes down”, Jae said as he let go of Brian. “I like it when you're not looking at the floor, merely down. Your eyes are beautiful and expressive, and I can see them better that way”.

Brian let his whole body respond to that, pleasure coating his gut as his desire to please him was strong and shocking in its intensity. This was technically their second scene and he wasn’t used to being this passive, but strangely it felt right. They had talked about it. He may not know what exactly to expect, but he knew that things that would make him uncomfortable or scared were off the table. He trusted Jae.

Brian’s whole body shook with the realization that this was _power exchange_ and that what he had to offer of himself was worth giving to someone, and Brian had to trust that particular someone to cherish it. He was aroused, his cock at half-mast already. Jae stroked it a few times, making Brian bite his lips as a moan came rushing out, his legs shivering, but he didn’t give out. His breath was a little more elaborate but he reigned it in even though Jae was still touching him lazily as his erection was fully grown.

“Pain training”, Jae kept going, “means that when I want to see your skin glowing red from my hand, or my whip, or my flogger, you will not lose your erection. It means my preference for fucking a well warmed ass trumps your discomfort over a little stinging. It means my tying you in uncomfortable positions is acceptable if it gives me pleasure to see the beauty of ropes against your skin, to put parts of your body on display, and if it grants me access to all of you. If I want to tie you upside down, knees bent to your chest, so that your hole is showcased for my viewing and touching pleasure, you will be able to endure it”. He let go of Brian completely. “Do you remember your safeword, Brian?”

Brian closed his eyes trying to will his brain to go back to work. “ _Rain_ to slow things down, _thunder_ to stop them”, his voice wasn’t coming out as more than a whisper.

“Very good, Brian”, Jae caressed his arm. “And I will do exactly as that, I will slow things down or I will stop completely. I will not put your safety in jeopardy. I will never punish you for using these words. I will never do you harm, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir”, Brian hoarsely answered.

“Put your arms up for me”, Brian did as he was told and Jae reached up to something he couldn’t see above his head and a few seconds later there were two straps around his wrists. “Are they two tight?”

“No, sir”, Brian still had his eyes closed. He tested the material around his wrist, it was tight but not uncomfortable.

“Now to the good stuff”, he came around Brian holding two objects in his hand. “This is the paddle I will use on your ass. It's a standard paddle, solid construction, and covered in leather, which will give a satisfying smack while cushioning the blow. Good for beginners. Makes your skin glow nice and rosy, too”. Brian opened his eyes to see what was being shown to him. They lingered on the menacing object. Jae lifted his chin and kissed him. “This is a butt plug. I will secure it today, but as you get used to anal play I will expect you to learn how to keep things in place without help”, he waved the cylindrical object, a short fat piece of rubber with two small rings at one end.

Brian nodded, not trusting his voice to come out at all. Jae pulled what looked like a nightstand closer to him and place the paddle on the flat surface. He took lube and a condom from one of the drawers. He made a show of coating his long fingers and walked behind Brian again. One cold finger brushed around his hole and Brian bit his lips again to suppress a moan. Jae kissed the back of his neck as he pushed the digit inside.

“I want to hear you, baby”, he said as he worked Brian off, swiftly adding a second digit and stretching him, his other hand coming up to tangle in his hair. "Let me hear you”. He pulled at the dark strands to kiss Brian, head turned and almost resting on Jae’s shoulder.

Brian hissed and moaned into the kiss as Jae found that magical spot that made his legs weak. He wasn’t going to be able to be upright until the end. Jae scissored his fingers a little and then it was all gone. Brian whimpered at the empty sensation until a bigger pressure to his ass caused him to gasp. Jae massaged his back as he slowly pushed the plug home. Brian was unable to reign in the sounds he was making. He let them loose, Jae have asked for them. No, he commanded. He had control. He felt the plug shift and settle, as he moved his legs a little. They were unbounded.

“I want you to submit to me not because I'm forcing you to see you can trust me to take control, but because you choose to give up control. You've seen you're capable and don't need to be convinced”, Jae said as pulled straps around his thigh and secured the plug, probably from those rings Brian notice earlier. He was face to face with Brian again, looking down on his body. “Do you know how hot you look all wrapped up for me?”, he finished adjusting the straps around his cock, keeping it up right and preventing him from cumming.

Jae’s face was so close, their lips almost touching. Brian wanted to kiss him, he wanted those lips on him. His hands, bounded above his head, twitched as he strained to resist the urge. The blond man was still fully dressed, he is in control. Brian knows he can trust him. Jae caressed his sides and he gave into the feeling, body relaxing as the sensations flooded his senses. Jae kissed him, slow and sensual. Brian took everything he gave, moaning softly around nips and tugs.

As the blond man disappeared behind him again, Brian couldn't help but feel his whole body tense. When his ass clenched, it pulled on the plug, which tightened the straps and caused his dick to pull away from his belly. A twinge of not-quite-pain shot through his entire groin and into his gut. With a small gasp, he rocked forward to ease the tension. That only served to make his cock harder, if that was even possible, which pulled tighter on the straps and wiggled the plug in his ass. He was focused on keeping still when the first blow landed.

His body moved involuntarily and the back and forth between the plug and his cock repeated. The second blow was against his other cheek and he gasped at all the sensations swarming him. He was so hard, he ached, but he clenched his eyes to try to shut out the pleasure and focus on the pain so he wouldn't come.

“Beautiful. Perfect”, Jae’s voice was calm, but reverent. Brian sighed as a wave of arousal hit him at the feeling of pleasing Jae. Two quick smacks in succession, on both cheeks this time.

“mmmggh… sir… ooh”, he couldn’t string to words together, but he couldn’t stop being vocal either. That white fire was coursing through his body, every inch of him tingling pleasurably in contrast with the sting from his ass cheeks, the air cooler as his skin heated. It hurt, but it didn’t. He felt the pain from every hit but it melted into pleasure as the plug dove into his prostate. “Oooh…ahh…sir…please”, he was on fire, shaking.

“You're beautiful, pinking up like this”, Jae ran a hand down Brian’s flank and brushed gentle fingers up his burning thigh and over the swell of his glute, leaving stinging trails in their wake. His fingers pulled lightly at the strap over one thigh, and Brian’s erection bobbed. "Everything still secure? Breathe, Brian”.

“Yes… sir”, Brian answered letting out a woosh of air. He concentrated on breathing slowly as a few more blows were delivered.

“You are doing great, baby”, he pulled Brian’s body closer, grounding his jeans-covered erection into his ass. Brian moaned again, melting into Jae’s hold. His mind was starting to get fuzzy, his body feeling distant and the pain dulled.

The resounding smack of the next blow, impossibly loud around the loft made Brian let out a cry, half moan and half sob. He felt it in his gut, brain completely unsure what was pain and what was pleasure anymore. He wanted more, his whole being claimed it. He thrust his ass towards Jae to show him that, to show him he was his to take.

“Shit, Brian”, Jae’s voice was hoarse as he dealt the final blow and the paddle clattered on the floor. His arms wound around Brian’s waist and his mouth was at the back of his neck. The sensitive flesh of Brian’s ass stung and burned against Jae’s pants. “So good to me”, he licked Brian’s sweat and made him shiver.

“Sir… yes…please”, Brian mewled desperately, thrusting back trying to feel him, all of him.

“Yes, baby”, his hand travelled down and untied Brian’s cock. “Just a little more”, he caressed Brian’s sides again, kissing his shoulder as he waited for Brian to even his breath, easing out the tension and his impending orgasm.

Jae let go and Brian once again whimpered at the loss. He heard the wrapper on the condom being torn off and the blond man came back, naked this time, and got closer until his body was flushed against Brian’s back. He pulled the plug off but Brian didn’t have time to feel empty as it was soon replaced by Jae’s warm cock. Brian howled in pleasure as his ass burned and Jae started rocking into him, bending him on the hanging straps, one hand guiding his hip and one sprawled on his back.

Brian just hang there, mouth slack and drooling as his eyes rolled back when Jae started hitting his prostate every other thrust. Jae pulled on his hair again, twisting Brian’s head for a bruising kiss, frantic as his pace. Brian groaned into the kiss, not necessarily doing his best at reciprocating it once Jae started pumping his erection earnestly.

“Huungh… siiir…oooh”, he wanted to cum. He needed to. He didn’t think he would be able to hold it much longer, not at this pace. “Please… yeaah…oh…please, sir…”

“You can let go, baby”, Jae whispered, voice broken. Brian half groaned, half screamed as his shaft pulsed in Jae’s hands, pleasure intense. He felt an electric shock travel through his body, eyes going out of focus and the strength leaving his body at once. He hung limply by the straps on his wrists, held up by the ones around his thighs and Jae’s cock in him. “You are stunning”, Jae thrusted once, twice and Brian felt him filling the condom inside him.

Brian’s mind was swimming. He was aware of every nerve end of his body, but wasn’t quite responsible for moving any of his limbs. They just twitched with aftershock. His head lolled forward, chin on his chest as he closed his eyes. He started feeling floaty again, just like last time. He didn’t rationalize the sensation, just let it take over. He distantly felt Jae pull out. He sobbed.

“Hey, hey. Brian, I’m here”, Jae face filled his view as he gently whipped the tears away. Tears? Brian was crying? Jae kissed him gently, but Brian needed more, he needed to touch him, have him. “Let me get you down, ok?”, Jae soothed him with another kiss.

“Don’t go, sir. Please”, he whined. Jae shushed him and held him by the waist.

“I’m not going anywhere”, he untied Brian expertly with one hand, even while holding him so close. His arms were unwrapped and laid down each at a time; Jae taking his weight as he untied his thighs too. Brian’s legs almost gave, but he managed to hold himself up with Jae’s help. Brian’s fingers twitched, itching to touch. “You can touch me, Brian”, Jae read his mind once more.

Not without some effort, Brian lifted his arms and tangled his fingers on Jae’s soft blond hair, anchoring himself. He nosed Jae’s chin, breathing in his scent as he slotted his face on his neck. Jae held him closer, caressing his back. Brian shivered and moaned as his groin brushed against Jae’s thigh. He was still hard. He had cum harder than ever, but he was still hard.

“Let’s get to the couch, ok?”, Jae said before almost picking Brian up and taking a few steps to the loveseat close to the bathroom door. Jae sat down sideways and made Brian half straddle him, ass up and not touching the fabric. The position made his cock brush Jae’s hip and Brian moaned again. “You can move, baby”, Jae gave him permission to get off, it was almost enough.

Brian moved his hips, thrusting slowly, faltering. It felt good, real good, with Jae softly kissing him. His fingers traced lazy patterns around the reddened flesh of Brian’s ass. It burned and every time it did, Brian moaned, cock spurting precum.

“You did good, Brian”, Jae whispered. “You were perfect. So perfect”, Brian gasped into a kiss as Jae’s finger circled his sensitive hole. “You gave me so much”.

Brian doesn’t remember cumming again, just the gentle brush of Jae’s lips on his skin and the elated feeling that washed over his body as his consciousness slipped away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone somewhere around these fourteen chapters asked me why is their relationship so sweet if they are Dom and sub. Huuummm.... because they respect each other? Because Brian is not a slave nor a 24/7 sub? I.... I don't know what to tell you other than... hum... yeah...that. They are healthy, they are sane, they are always safe when they explore their kinks. That is what the fic is about... oh, and the murders ;)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hello there, strangers!  
> House still under renovations, but I managed to write half of this last month and the other half this week. YAY!

He is laying on his stomach, boneless and content, as his mind finally clears and he can feel the distinct soft burn on his butt cheeks. His feet are dangling out of the small couch over the armless edge and he has his head pillowed on his left arm. There is a light pressure on his shoulders and the smell of herbal oil hits him. Jae is massaging his back, more like a smooth oily caress that travels his whole body up and down. He focusses his attention on Brian’s butt, applying more oil to the certainly reddened flesh.

“Hey baby, you’re back with me?”, Jae whispers, kneading his thighs gently.

Brian hums in response. Talking would take a lot of energy and he doesn’t have any left right now. Jae moves up his body and kisses the back of his neck. Brian turns his head so he can take the heart-shaped lips in his. They kiss languorously, Brian making and effort to lift his hand and grab the back of Jae’s neck, bringing him closer. He shifts his body a little with the effort and hisses as his sensitive skin brushes against the fabric of the loveseat.

“I’m taking your collar off, ok?”, he hadn’t even realized he was still wearing it. Brian waits while Jae removes the thin piece of leather, his thumbs caressing under it gently before unbuckling it. When it is off, he brings the blond man back for another kiss. He would get hard from just Jae’s taste if he wasn’t so spent, but he still feels amazing licking and nipping the other’s luscious lips. “How do you feel, Brian?”, Jae holds his neck and prevents him from going forward and taking what he wants.

“Amazing”, Brian smiles. He wants to go back to kissing, but Jae still holds him back.

“Anything more constructive to add?”, Jae smiles gently, but he searches Brian’s face for something.

“I enjoyed it, Jae”, Brian sobers. “It is an interesting feeling and completely new, but I really enjoyed it”, he attempts to sit down. The sting is there but fading quickly. He still awkwardly leans on his left thigh instead. “Did I do ok?”

Jae kisses him a bit more enthusiastically than before. “You were perfect”, his forehead touches Brian’s tenderly.

“Man, we are so sappy”, Brian huffs. They both laugh and Jae helps him get up. He feels like he doesn’t need the extra boost, but he loves having Jae’s arm around his waist. _So fucking sappy_. “I rather have a shower than a bath today”, he nods towards the big bathroom in the loft.

“Let’s get downstairs and use the one in my suite”, Jae smiles and leads Brian down the spiral staircase.

They shower together but Brian is too pleased in washing Jae’s hair to let anything else happens. And he is also quite tired. There has been a long day at work for both of them, one busy Saturday in the life of two law enforcers. Well, one law enforcer and a lab rat. He smiles to himself at the lame joke. He got himself a cute nerd to love. He shakes his head a little at the last thought, not wanting to delve on that notion any further tonight.

“It’s almost midnight”, Jae is putting on his sweats while Brian is thinking of foregoing clothes altogether and let the cool air sooth the faint discomfort in his ass. “What time are you meeting your mother tomorrow?”, Jae has his cell phone in hand, probably ready to set an alarm.

Right. His Sunday brunch with his mother. Brian suddenly felt nervous and apprehensive. It is not that he hasn’t seen his mother during the few weeks he and Jae have been together, it is just that things were different now. Something has shifted in their relationship, it seemed much more real, tangible. They were on the same page now, they wanted to be together and that made having lunch with his mother something even more meaningful. Brian would have to tell her about them, about him. He hasn’t openly talked about their relationship with anyone except Jeongyeon, not even Wonpil. He had been operating under the pretense of letting things flow naturally, but maybe he was just scared. He worried his bottom lip as he stared at the phone on Jae’s hand.

“Brian? What time?”, the blond man raised an eyebrow in question.

“Hum… I guess… eleven”, he sighed and sat on the edge of Jae’s bed. He felt the mattress dip behind him and Jae’s hands circled his waist.

“What’s wrong?”, he kissed the back of Brian’s neck and buried his face on his shoulder.

Brian just sagged against Jae’s chest. “Nothing”.

“I thought we were past freaking out in silence”, Jae said against his skin.

Brian sighed. “I… I have to tell my mother about us and I guess I’m worried”

“You do it when you’re ready, baby”, Jae pulled Brian to lay down next to him. They faced each other and the blond man smiled. “You know I’m not gonna push you, right? I know coming out isn’t easy, specially to family”, he cupped Brian’s face, thumb caressing his cheek.

Brian nodded. Of course he knew there was no pressure from Jae. It was more of how he viewed his relationship with his mother and how much he had changed in such a short span of time. He wasn’t about to keep lying to others as much as he wasn’t keen on lying to himself. He had to tell her, sooner better than later.

“Can you come with me tomorrow?”, Brian surprised himself and Jae with his words.

Jae stared at him for a few beats. “You don’t need to rush anything for my sake”, he brought their temples together. But that is exactly how it was supposed to go, wasn’t it? He wanted Jae there, he needed his support.

“I’m not. I want her to meet you”, he smiled reassuringly. Jae took him by the waist and brought their bodies closer, kissing him softly.

“Yes, I’ll be there”, Brian rested his head on his chest, listening to the calming rhythm of Jae’s heartbeat. He pulls the covers over them and they snuggle closer. Jae combs his fingers through his hair, making him relax even further.

“Thank you”, Brian sighs. He closes his eyes feeling all their activities take their toll on him. He is lulled to sleep by Jae’s gentle touch. As he drifts off he barely hears the whispered promise Jae let’s out as he lays one last kiss to the top of Brian’s head.

“I’d do anything for you”

 

***

 

“If Brian had told me in advance we would have company, I would have cooked instead of coming here”, Brian’s mother huffed when they finally sat down. “Frankly, the time we waisted waiting for a table I could have prepared a banquet”.

That was something Brian would certainly not want today. He had texted her that Jae was coming with around ten minutes before they got to the restaurant. He was more than a little anxious with the prospect of coming out to his mother, so the thought of being just the three of them in her living room for a couple of hours made him mentally freak out. It was a rare busy Sunday at their usual place, just a few blocks from where his mother lived. Brian and Jae had gotten there before her and were met with an unusual crowd outside the little bistro.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Kang”, Jae smiled at her, “it is probably my fault he didn’t have time to warn you”. He had spent the last forty minutes charming the hell out of Brian’s mother. It didn’t take much, Jae was a very personable character and his warm smile would rope anyone in. At least Brian thought so.

“Oh, no no no Mr. Park, don’t cover for him”, Mrs. Kang shook a perfectly manicured finger on Jae’s face, “he’s carefully planned this so whatever he wants to tell me will timely sink in before we reach any private space where I could either smack him or cry”, she chuckled. “I don’t do drama in public spaces”, she gestured around them.

Brian almost choked on his water. “Why would you think I have something to tell you?”

Mrs. Kang raised her eyebrow. “You see, I know my baby boy very well, Jae”.

“I really like your mother”, Jae shot him an amused smile.

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we please order?”

He tried his best to hide how nervous he was, but he apparently wasn’t doing a good job as Jae would every now and then sneakily squeeze his knees under the table in silent support. They had been sat on a booth that made it seem like there weren’t many people around them. Jae had motioned for Brian to sit by his mother, but he needed the reassuring closeness of his boyfriend to muster the courage to go through with it.

Throughout their meal, Jae would smile and make conversation with Brian’s mother, attentively listening to every court story she had to tell and taking the burden of coherence from the very worried detective at the table with them. Brian was sure that if he decided to bolt and just not tell his mother anything, Jae would totally be okay with his cowardice. And that was exactly what kept him from fleeing. Jae was the best thing that had happened to him in a very long time and he wanted to make him happy.

“Mom…”, Brian warily caught her attention as the waitress took their empty dishes away. “I need to tell you something”.

“Aha! Jae, was I right, or was I right?”, his mother smiled cheekily at the blond man sitting across from her. Jae smiled back, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He felt Brian’s worry.

A thousand thoughts coursed through his brain with what he should or shouldn’t say. He took a deep breath once, twice. Mrs. Kang’s smile faded a little at his hesitation. He felt Jae squeeze his knee again. _You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,_ he was sure it was what he would have said. He took the other’s hand in his and laced their fingers on the table. On display. His mother looked between them and at their joined hands without saying anything. She waited, smile gone, but face still soft and expectant.

“I… Jae… I don’t know how to…”, tongue tied, he closed his eyes and breathed.

“Brian… baby”, his mother whispered.

“I’m gay”, he rushed out. There it was. He did it. He had never said it out loud. Never even thought about it. It was less than smooth, and he could feel his heart in his throat. He didn’t want to open his eyes and face her. “I’m sorry”, he didn’t know why he added that.

“Why?”, his mom’s voice wavered, and he finally looked at her again. She shook her head, eyes downcast. “Why, Brian?”

He didn’t know what to say to her. “Mom…”, he took a deep breath when he felt Jae start caressing his hand with his thumb.

“Brian, my baby…”, she reached across the table to take his free hand. She sounded so disappointed, Brian wanted to cry. “Why would you be sorry?”

And just like that, it all washed away from him. He felt himself sag a little on the cushioned bench as he tried hard to hold back tears. He felt Jae sneak an arm around his waist and bring him closer. “I love you, mom”.

“And I love you, son”, his mother leaned forward to gently wipe one wayward tear from his cheeks. “Never forget that”, she sat back, discretely dabbing under her misty eyes. Brian just nodded, not trusting his voice to say anything else without breaking. “I take you two are together, then”, she recomposed herself and offered Jae a smile.

“Yes, ma’am”, Jae tighten his embrace, kissing Brian’s forehead. He resisted the urge of burying his face on Jae’s neck and shutting everything else out. He wanted to be present for this. For his mother and for Jae. He adjusted himself in his seat.

“We’ve been together for a few weeks”, Brian took her hands back in his. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier… this is… all new”

“Thank you for trusting me”, her smile was warm and genuine. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy”. She was ok with this, with him. “We have time for dessert and coffee”, she winked at them as she waved the waitress closer, “tell me everything”.

There was no tension anymore. He felt lighter as he told her the rollercoaster he had been through this past couple of months. He told her everything. Almost everything. And Jae was there, next to him, making her laugh, making them both laugh. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was. They sat there for a couple more hours and then Brian drove her home.

“I quite like him”, she whispered when he leaned in to hug her goodbye. “I’m glad to see you so happy”, she kissed his cheeks. “And I am happy you found yourself”, she cupped his face in both her hands.

“I really really like your mother”, Jae told him as they watched her get into her building.

Brian turned to him and his goofy smile and his heart just swelled. He brought their lips together on a sweet kiss, that hinted on things that he hoped would come once they got home. They went back to Jae’s place in companionable silence. Comfortable and familiar. Brian was as much at ease now as he was at the end of a scene with Jae. This is what they were to each other.

As the door closed behind them, he didn’t hold anything back. He put everything he was feeling into the kiss. He wanted Jae, he wanted to worship him. He didn’t want a scene and Jae knew it. It wasn’t time for that. No collars, no straps. They kissed their way to Jae’s bedroom, leaving clothes on their wake. As Brian took Jae into his mouth, he couldn’t help but to think back on their first time together, all he felt, all that had been new to him. As Jae teased him with playful kisses all over his chest and nipples as he worked him open, he felt safe. He came the first time just thinking of having Jae inside him. Nothing stopped him as he climbed on top of the blond man, oversensitive, and impaled himself on his erection, eager to keep going. He rode him slowly as pleasure built on him again.

Their moans and gasps mingled together in heated open-mouthed kisses as Brian fucked himself on Jae with abandon. And Jae let him, he let him have whatever he wanted. He groaned and screamed Jae’s name as he hit his prostate. Again. And again. And again. He knew as he started to soar that it wasn’t the roughness, or the loss of control. He didn’t get high on that. It was Jae. Ecstasy took over as he came again, untouched, and he felt Jae find his release inside him. He softly came back once Jae pulled him down on his chest and held him, whispering sweet nothings and showering him with sweet kisses. He knew then as he probably knew before.

He loves Jae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a ps: Brian's mom? She is my best friend's mom. There wasn't a boyfriend, just me sitting next to him while he shakily told her he was gay. And she was just... "Boy, I love you so much. You are beautiful in every way", and I legit cried. We were what? Seventeen? Almost twenty years ago, mind you. Supportive parents are everything! So when I was writing this I thought... "we don't need any more tension, we have murders", and it reminded me of her (and this made much more sense because of chapter 5) so... yeah!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than necessary... sorry

Maybe he should be freaking out, but there has never been a more natural feeling than the one Brian got from driving Jae to work. Telling his mother changed something in their relationship, it felt more real, and he was all for it. It was early enough in the morning that the parking lot was practically empty, apart from a few cruisers and two other civilian cars. They didn’t meet anybody until they reached the hall. Wendy was already busy on the phone and she waved them in with a bright smile.

The bullpen was always quieter before nine. Even with the task force working tirelessly 24/7, some way or another, there was never enough buzz to break the illusion of serenity. They walked in hand in hand, beelining for Wonpil’s desk to get some files he had borrowed from the lab two days ago.

“If you think you can spare the time”, Jae said piling up everything he needed, “come to the lab around one o’clock and we can have lunch together”.

“Aww man… does that mean I will have lunch by myself from now on?”, Brian tried not to show how startled he was by Jeongyeon’s voice behind them.

His partner had a coffee mug in her hand a shit eating grin that made him smile too. “Pretty sure you will be invited if you behave”, Brian winked at her.

“Didn’t know you were one for sharing, Jae”, she smiled her way back to her desk.

“Just you, Detective Yoo. Nobody else”, Jae picked up his files and kissed Brian’s cheek, sauntering the way back to the elevators.

Brian watched him with what he knew was the goofiest smile he had ever sported, at least at work. “Things are good?”, Jeongyeon asked from behind her extra-large mug. Rough morning if she was prone to drink that much of terrible coffee Wendy made for them on early shifts.

“Yeah, they are”, he looked back to where Jae had been a few seconds ago. “They really are”, he settled on his desk and started going through his files. “Have you seen Wonpil yet?”

“No, not since his shift started yesterday. But Sungjin said there was some progress back with our friends at B-3 and they were driving there”

“Sungjin called you? He didn’t call me”, he checked his phone, “nor sent a message”. He was the leader of their task force, he would expect to be kept in the loop.

“He just.. hum… he told me”, he could have sworn she was blushing a little. “They would be out for the whole Sunday and you had your mom’s thing”, she shrugged. “It didn’t seem like something that couldn’t wait”

“Anything on this case is priority and you know it”, why hadn’t they told him? He was a cop, he was always on duty. He was used to it, they were all used to it.

“You do realize we all know how to do our jobs and you can take a little break, right?”, she sounded annoyed and a little hurt.

He looked at her, taking in her crossed arms and closed-off demeanor. “I’m sorry”, it was all he said. They have been taking turns in having a day off as Sungjin thought it would keep them at their best. They never really had a chance to argue with the profiler, he was adamant and had brought Sergeant Kwon into it.

Jeongyeon’s stance relaxed a little. “It’s ok”, she dismissed him with a hand gesture.

“You know I trust your judgment and you’re…”

“Brian”, she cut him off, rolling her eyes “let’s get back to work”, she smiled at him. They were good.

He spent some time going over the reports Wonpil and his partner had written throughout the weekend. There had been a lead in Kevin Wong’s case and they were called to pick up evidence at District B-3, two towns over. The murder wasn’t their priority anymore and they wouldn’t spend any more resources than necessary, so his men had to drive there to pick up whatever had come up. Fucking great. He hated bureaucratic shit like that, when victims of terrible crimes just became one more file in the pile of an overworked department. No matter how shitty Kevin Wong had been as a person, he was still a victim in one of Brian’s cases.

“I can hear you fuming from here”, Jeongyeon looked up from her papers. “You read Wonpil’s report”.

“Yeah”, he got up, taking a few deep breaths. “I’ll try not to blame anyone out there for fucking messing everything up and not doing their jobs properly”, he started walking towards the common area.

“You do that”, Jeongyeon called after him. “And get me some more coffee”.

As usual, the coffee machine was empty when he got there. He hoped Jeongyeon hasn’t been the one to drink it all. He started making things around the small dining area to distract himself from the fact that his brain was now pointing fingers at colleagues from another district. He couldn’t blame them for the murders that had happened around his precinct. He knew exactly how hard it had been to investigate this case. He tried instead to be glad it didn’t take them four months to have any lead whatsoever, like B-3. The lazy incompetent motherfuckers. He huffed and shook his head. He was doing a great job at not being mad, peachy.

“You read my report”, Wonpil’s voice sounded behind him. It wasn’t a question, his friend knew him too well. Jae was right, he was a freaking open book to the people he trusted. Brian just nodded. “I probably shouldn’t tell you the mess that district was, but… well, it was a fucking mess and I wanted to hit somebody”

Brian’s shoulders sagged a little, the tension leaving him. “You and me both, my friend”. They would solve this. He had the right people working with him.

“I need coffee”, Wonpil sighed as he leaned against the counter next to Brian. Their relationship with the black liquid was a bit unhealthy. Brian couldn’t care less.

He handed Wonpil a mug. “What have you got?”

“Sungjin and Junho are getting everything ready”, he gestured for Brian to follow him.

They walked back to their desks to a little commotion. Sungjin had rolled a TV and a VCR in. “What is this? The eighties?”, Brian handed Jeongyeon her new mug.

“Don’t ask… that place was… rough”, Sungjin almost growled. Good, his whole team seemed to be on his page and he wasn’t the only one incredibly mad at this.

Wonpil circled them as his partner plugged in the apparel. “This is the security video of a pawn shop across the street from where Kevin Wong’s body was found”, he said as Junho pressed play. Brian stepped closer as the video flickered to life.

It was a black and white grainy image, but it was possible to see the edge of the alley where the body had been dumped. Junho fast forwarded the video till it reached a familiar time stamp, when the body was found. “Ok, so this is when they found him. Coroner reported that Wong had been dead for at least ten hours”, Sungjin took over narrating what they were seeing.

“The equipment from the store is ancient, but we caught a few interesting things that may help us”. Wonpil signaled Junho, who rewinded the video on cue. “There is absolutely no one coming or going for at least six hours in this tape”, he gestured his partner again and Junho ejected and changed the tapes as he reached its limit.

“You’re joking… this tape holds only six hours?”, Jeongyeon sounded offended by the use of archaic technology.

“Eight”, Wonpil shrugged. “There are a few minutes missing from one to the other, but this one”, he pointed at the screen after Junho pressed play again, “this one shows someone coming out of the alley around seven hours before the body was discovered”. Wonpil’s partner rewinded the video and pressed play.

A pale, tall and slim figure wearing all black clothes and gloves stepped out of the shadows and into the street. He had a baseball cap pulled down enough to cover his eyes, but he didn’t seem to know there was a camera on him as a few steps out of the alley they could get a real shot of his profile. It was grainy and dark, but they could definitely work with it.

“Can we see what time he got in?”, Brian asked Junho, as he handled the tapes.

“That’s the thing”, Sungjin scratched the back of his head, “there is no sign of him coming to the alley, just out of it”

“The crime scene is probably in the vicinity”, Jeongyeon clapped her hands once. People who didn’t know her would think she was excited. Brian knew she was just angry. Angry at the sloppy work done on Kevin Wong’s investigation. He doesn’t care if the other district has to deal with murders on a daily basis, this was just plain stupid.

“Anything else?”, Brian reigned in his temperament. His team had nothing to do with that. They would make good use of the information.

“They have a thick file on Kevin Wong”, Sungjin picked up the manila envelope resting on Wonpil’s desk. “We haven’t had the time to go through it yet”, he handed it to Jeongyeon who immediately started sorting through it.

“We couldn’t investigate the area as it isn’t our jurisdiction”, Wonpil brought a few forms for Brian to look at. “We need Sergeant Kwon and you to contact them and sort things out”

“They are more than willing to hand us the case”, Sungjin added, making a face.

Brian pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ok. You two” he pointed at Wonpil and his partner, “wait till I talk to Sergeant Kwon and get the clearings all sorted out to register this piece of evidence under our taskforce. In the meantime, Sungjin should take these to Jae and see what he can do with these images. We need a picture of the suspect to take to The Rose”

“Woosung could recognize him”, Sungjin nodded approvingly as he collected the tapes.

“When we register everything and get clearance, Wonpil heads back and sweep that goddamn alley”, Brian continued. “We will go over this file while you’re all at it”

They all set off to do their job and Brian was still fuming. “We fucked up”, he sighed.

“We will make up for lost time, partner”, she didn’t even raise her head from the file. “I know you’re angry, but nothing can be done. You need to unwind a little because I need you to go over this thing”, she gestured to the pile of papers she had taken from the envelope. “Go get me some yogurt or something and then comeback. Can’t drink anymore coffee today”

He nodded even though she wouldn’t see it and made his way back to the common area. Wonpil was there filling his mug, lost in thought. He bumped his friend’s shoulder. “I just got told off for mulling over someone else’s case. You can’t do it either”

“Yeah…”, Wonpil took a sip from his coffee. “Still hard, though”

“I know…”, Brian sighed. “How is Dowoon?”, he tried changing the subject.

“He is great”, Wonpil smiled a little. “He asked when you’re going to visit”

“Shit… it’s been so long”, Brian looked for something to bring Jeongyeon. No yogurts on the fridge, just Wendy’s salad with a huge sign of “eat it and I’ll kill you”. “This case is just… too much sometimes”.

“When we finally close it, we should celebrate”, Wonpil gave him a sideways glance. “And we want you to bring Jae, of course”.

Brian was thankful he wasn’t drinking anything, he almost choked with his own spit. “How?”

“You kissed him in the middle of the lab”, Wonpil tried to hide his grin. “One of his assistants saw you two a few days ago. Half of the precinct knows by now”, he shrugged.

“I was going to tell you”, eventually, maybe. Half of the precinct, really? No one had even talked to him about it. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal, or maybe the ones that would make it a big deal haven’t been notified yet.

“No, you were not”, Wonpil clapped him on the back. “You were hoping I would figure it out all by myself and come talk to you”, he opened his arms wide. “Et voilà”

“I’m sorry”

“You can talk to me, you know that, right?”, Wonpil squeezed his shoulder. “I didn’t even know you…”

“Well, me neither”, Brian tried for nonchalance. “And yes, I do know that”.

“Good”, he rubbed his hands. “Let’s crack this case”, he said over his shoulder as he left.

Brian took a water bottle back to Jeongyeon’s desk; there was absolutely nothing else he could offer her without going out; and called his sergeant to set things in motion for Wonpil and his partner. As a testament to how much their neighbors didn’t want to investigate this, in less than an hour they had their liaison and the green light for the investigation. The two detectives took off with the suspect’s image which Jae had printed so that they had something to show around. Sungjin came back and pulled a chair next to them to help look through Wong’s file.

“Kevin Wong was a piece of work”, Jeongyeon huffed.

“They did a great job investigating the victim”, Brian practically spit.

“This is useful for us, detective”, Sungjin said over the victim’s rap sheet. Assault, domestic abuse, it wasn’t pretty.

“This could have come earlier”, he was bitter, sue him.

“There was no way you could have prevented all those murders with this info, Brian”, Sungjin put down his papers. “Lei Zheng’s body was found after Kaiser’s death”

“Kinney was killed after it. And his sub…”, Brian rested his shoulders on his desk, burying his head in his hands.

“We don’t know if having any of this information would have helped us prevent that”, Sungjin argued. “We got to Kevin Wong by making the connections between the three crime scenes we had in our jurisdiction, we wouldn’t have found this otherwise. Our killer is angry at some of these people. We may know why now”.

“Stop being reasonable”, Brian huffed, but he knew Sungjin was right.

They went back to sorting out the data collected four months ago. They had been thorough in putting this file together but couldn’t make themselves actually investigate the murder. Wong had probably received low priority due to his criminal records. It was a shitty move, but more common than Brian would care to admit.

“God fucking damn it”, Jeongyeon’s voice startled them. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…”, she got up holding a file in her hands.

“What have you got?”, Brian pulled his chair back a bit, making space for her.

“I should have looked harder into it. I knew I shouldn’t have stopped”, she slapped a photo on his desk, both him and Sungjin looking over it.

“Kinney and Zhang”, Sungjin exclaimed. “We just confirmed our connection!”

Brian observed the photo. There were four people in it. Lei Zhang and Kevin Wong were happily making faces at the camera, arms wrapped over each other’s shoulders. Next to them, Sheldon Kinney had his arm around the waist of a very attractive and a somewhat younger man. Kinney was kissing his cheek and he was smiling at the camera. He looked vaguely familiar.

“It is much more than that”, Jeongyeon was pacing the space behind his chair. “Fuck, I can’t believe this”

“Detective Yoo, any moment you want to fill us in…”, Sungjin followed her with his gaze.

“Don’t you recognize him, Brian?”, she pointed at the smiling young man. Brian couldn’t really place where he saw his face.

“He does look familiar”, he frowned as he looked at the photo.

“Donghyuck Lee”, Jeongyeon stated.

“Fuck”, Brian sighed. Sooman Lee’s eldest. The one that had died in a car accident. The one that Jeongyeon had asked to investigate. “Fuck”, he started picking up a few of the papers and the picture.

“Yeah”, Jeongyeon flew to her desk and started doing the same.

“You’re coming with us”, Brian pointed at Sungjin.

“Gladly”, the profiler calmly got up. “Where are we going?”

“We’ll pay Mr. Lee another visit”, he walked briskly towards the elevators, shooting Jae a message to let him know they wouldn’t have lunch together. “I’ll fill you in on the way there”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, over 50k words. This is officially the longest fic I have ever written!!! Sorry for the lack of Jae this chapter, but I chose Young K's POV and they need to get work done... if they are together they get very much distracted...lol
> 
> i already have the next one in the works. It won't take me long to publish it... more Jae in that one... ;)


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